Connected Souls
by Divine Lustre
Summary: When they inadvertently run into each other at the empty boathouse site the day after their kiss in the Milltown living room, Jack confesses to Carly that he's still in love with her. Carly, however, has reservations about them. Will she change her mind?
1. An Admission of Love

**CHAPTER ONE: AN ADMISSION OF LOVE**

"I love you. I'll always love you."

His words from two days ago were still echoing inside her head. It was a chilly winter morning, very typical mid-January weather in that part of Illinois, when he'd uttered them to her. Still, any influence that this extremely cold temperature would have normally had on her sensitive physicality was a complete non-factor given the circumstances that had unfolded as she stood there with him. They were standing in the midst of their place…well, the site upon which their special place once stood: the boathouse. That boathouse had held a plethora of memories of their relationship from years past, both good and bad. It had seen them through many intimate embraces, bitter arguments, ardent kisses, angst-ridden tears, passionate love-making, and several fervent proclamations of love. The boathouse itself might've been gone courtesy of a deranged woman, but those memories that they had created within it's confines while it had still existed would always remain. That place would forever be a reminder of their hopes, their dreams, and their love. Reflecting back almost thirteen years later, it was amazing how much had changed, and yet, although more subtle, how much had stayed the same. One would've thought that with everything that they'd been through with each other over the past few years, that the declarations of love would've long ceased, but still, here they were, nearly a decade and a quarter later; still flirting with those same damn words.

His eyes were moist, his voice thick with emotion, as he looked at her with an undeterred intensity and made the heartfelt declaration. Even now, she got that fluttery feeling in her stomach every time she replayed it in her mind. Sure, she wasn't expecting it and had definitely been caught off-guard, but what was it about those eyes and that voice that could still literally take her breath away? Over the course of the past two days since their encounter, she must've relived those moments at least a few hundred times. Everyday activities she'd performed since then were mostly a blur, and the combination of a lack of concentration over routine tasks, and the bad case of insomnia, made her feel more like a zombie than a human. A unique zombie with selective brain functionality nonetheless, given that her mind had been working overtime to recreate that solitary place by the lake, where two people with a long, complicated history stood, reminiscing on the site where _their_ boathouse had once stood.

Carly sat cross-legged on her bed and glanced down at the small, round, gold-plated object she was cradling in her hands. A compass._ Their_ compass. Much like the boathouse was a marker of their storied past, so was this compass. Carly glanced down at it again and observed the position of the needle- it pointed south. The needle that once firmly pointed north—true north, at that—now stubbornly pointed in the opposite direction. Suddenly, Carly came to a sobering realization that made her grimace deeply. Their marriage- over. Their boathouse- gone. Their compass- broken. Their future? - _unattainable_, she decided, even as a small voice inside her spoke to the contrary.

"Snap out of it, Carly," she told herself firmly. "You did the right thing."

Yet, why wasn't she completely convinced?

Across town, a lone figure sat at the edge of a bed in a hotel room at the Lakeview and aimlessly glanced around at his surroundings. He once again looked down at the cell phone in his hand and paused. He had been brooding over a decision for some time now. After finally making some sort of a resolve, he finally flipped the phone open and pressed his thumb down on a button to enable speed dial to the person whose number was associated with it. Then, suddenly, just as quickly as he'd flipped it open, he slammed it shut, making sure to do so before the phone at the other end of the line could ring. He sighed frustratedly and ran the palm of his hand over his face. This was probably his tenth attempt at placing that call, but so far, all his efforts had been futile; cut short by his own conflicted volitions. Finally he gave up and tossed the phone behind him on the bed. He rested his elbows on his thighs, clasped his hands together, and placed his forehead against them, wrestling with his emotions. Maybe it really was done. Maybe there was no point in talking or even trying anymore.

He thought back to two days ago when he'd had that intense exchange with her by the lake where their boathouse had once stood. It had consumed his mind ever since, almost entirely depriving him of two decent nights' worth of sleep. He'd told her he loved her, that he'd always love her. He'd meant it, every word of it, with every fiber of his being. Still, he hadn't received the response he had been hoping for—far from it, in fact. There were a lot of things in his life that he was still unclear about, but if there was one beacon that shone through all the clouds of uncertainty and doubt that continued to plague him, it was the depth of his love for her. She, however, had chosen to walk away from his honest admission. The only question that remained now was what he would do about it.


	2. A Kiss is just A Kiss, or is it?

**CHAPTER TWO: A KISS IS JUST A KISS…OR IS IT?**

Both solitary bodies sat on their beds in their respective rooms across town and reflected back on the same emotionally charged conversation; in unison for all they knew.

"Leave me alone, Jack," she'd implored him, as she began to make her way away from him and up the bank following his proclamation of love.

"You know you love me too," he'd called out after her, stopping her dead in her tracks. There was a clear confidence in his voice as he'd spoken those words.

She whirled around to face him.

"And what has it gotten me?" she questioned in response, "every time we've been together, we've ended up hurting each other, over and over again."

The sorrow in her voice was palpable and further reflected through her misty eyes.

Jack had noted that while she hadn't verbally reciprocated his sentiments, she hadn't denied them when he'd pointed out to her that she felt the same way about him either.

"Usually because you're trying to do what's best for me, Carly," he reasoned, "and I'm always trying to do what I think is right for you, but it's always out of love. Always. Instead of fighting this, we need to face it!"

"I can't," she said despondently, on the verge of shedding tears. "I can't do it again."

She turned away again and attempted to abandon this conversation once more and tried to walk away as quickly as possible, but he wouldn't have any of it.

"I need you!" he called out sharply after her.

She slowly turned around to face him a second time.

"Why?" she asked in disbelief, her voice coming forth in a raspy whisper. She was unable to grasp why he would possibly think that she was what he needed.

"No one else could have brought me back from the brink after Brad died. I would have wound up dead myself out there if it weren't for you; or wandering around the rest of my life," he explained.

"I just know you better than anyone else," Carly stated quietly, as a single tear escaped her eye which she quickly wiped away. "If the roles were reversed, I know you would've done the same for me."

Jack walked up close until he was only a few inches away from her face and gazed into the depths of her misty blue eyes.

"Let's go back to that kiss," he said determinedly, making her flinch slightly.

That kiss in the living room the previous day was what had seperately drawn them both to the boathouse site presently in the first place. Jack had only been a few steps away from the front door on his way out when it happened without warning. Having just returned from Katie's "going away" party together only minutes earlier, they were having a strange, yet pleasant conversation about Jack's nagging urge to punch Simon while they were at the party. However, amidst the levity in the air, Jack suddenly dropped his carry-on bag in one fleeting moment, stepped swiftly towards Carly, and plunged his mouth into hers. Once their lips locked, all common sense and rationality momentarily flew out the window, and they were engulfed by nothing but the passion and intensity created by the electrifying fusion of their mouths. Their lips moved fluidly and flawlessly against each other, and their arms sought to embrace the other in the most intimate of ways to further intensify the already zealous kiss. Then, despite the momentary shutdown of all rational thought, Carly's brain somehow conveyed a message to her lips that they needed to step away from the similar-looking warm, tantalizing ones that had sent her senses reeling before things escalated any further. So, in a strong and resolute move that required every ounce of her willpower, Carly put a stop to the kiss and quickly, but gently, ushered Jack out the door after reminding him of his marital status, despite his feeble protests on the subject.

While she had temporarily silenced any further action or discussion related to the infamous kiss immediately after it had occurred that day by dismissing him, her present situation negated that fact, and put her in a bit of dilemma.

"Carly, that kiss yesterday…"Jack began slowly, "I know that I initiated it—I kissed you first—" he paused momentarily before continuing, "but before you pulled away, you can't deny that you kissed me back."

He knew that her reaction to his claim was monumental in determining how she really felt, so he studied her features fixedly.

Carly uncomfortably averted her eyes from his unwavering gaze. He noticed that her whole body had considerably stiffened at his assertion and she unconsciously chewed on her upper lip like he had known her to do whenever she was nervous.

"I-I was taken by surprise, that's all. I didn't know what I was doing," she offered shakily. "I did stop it from going any further and pulled away, didn't I?"

The delivery of her explanation correlated with the same level of uncertainty that was etched across her face.

"So, that kiss…are you saying it didn't—that it didn't mean anything to you?" he asked searchingly.

"Jack…" she started, "we can't go there. We can't go back there ever again. You're _married_ for God's sake. I shouldn't have to keep reminding you of that!" she beseeched.

"Carly-" he began, before she cut him off.

"Jack, these past few months, we've gotten along great, wouldn't you say? Better than we have in a long time."

"Yes", he agreed quietly, looking her square in the eyes.

"And that made me realize something," she continued. "We had been at each other's throats for so long, that we'd barely been able to make it through a conversation without it turning into an argument; whether we intended to or not. Still, these past couple of months, ever since we got back, we've been getting along so well". She paused briefly. "You remember what you said to me on Christmas night? You said that you were glad that we'd found a way to be friends, and I agree with you. I agree with you completely. If there's anything that I've learned about us and am grateful for through all this, it's that we've somehow managed to form a friendship, and I don't want to lose that."

"'Friendship'?".

He couldn't help but scoff at her usage of the term in relation to them—not given everything else that had been stirring between over the recent weeks leading up to the kiss. There had definitely been subtle traces of sexual tension and Jack was convinced that she was well aware of it too. Still, he needed further clarification.

"So you're telling me that this could work as a permanent fix? Us just being friends and nothing more?"

Carly's eyes briefly left Jack's again as she pondered her response.

"Yes," she said, looking up at him again. "We have to do it, not only for ourselves, but also for the kids."

He just stared at her for a few seconds before reaching forward and taking her gloved hand in his bare one.

"I know what I felt in that kiss, Carly," he declared with such confidence that it shook her.

His chocolate brown eyes were transfixed on her, reflecting all his inner determination and emotion through them. Carly could do nothing but try with all her might to hold her own against them even as they threatened to break down all her defenses.

She drew in a deep breath.

"Jack, I am NOT going back there! The kiss- it_ can't_ happen again. It _won't_ happen again. You need to go home to your wife!" she finished firmly.

"Carly, I already told you, it's too late for Janet and me," he asserted.

"That may be, Jack, but I really can't make it any clearer to you than that about where I stand. I'm not changing my mind," she finished, keeping her tone as even as possible for the sake of retaining her own strength.

However, it was becoming harder and harder for Carly to maintain her composure as he stood there, a few inches from her face with those unwavering eyes. She knew she needed to get away from there-from him-as quickly as possible, before her heart had a chance to contribute and counter everything that her mind had so sturdily encouraged her to say thus far. Miraculously, the latter continued to give her the courage that she needed to go on; although, for how much longer, she didn't know. Still, there were a few things that remained to be said.

"After you married Janet, I respected your decision and didn't interfere with your marriage. You wanted peace and I gave that to you to the best of my ability. That's not to say that my bad choices surrounding my personal life- namely the drinking- didn't adversely affect you because of the kids, but as far as your marriage is concerned, I've kept my distance. It's not fair for you to come to me now and expect me to turn my life upside down just because you're suddenly feeling nostalgic."

"There's a reason you came here too," he countered, slightly deviating from everything she'd just said, although he'd paid attention to her every word.

"I came here to remember what we once had," Carly rationalized, "but I had no intention of wanting to go back there again."

"Carly-" he started, still struggling to make her understand his position, but she cut him short once more.

"Jack, this isn't fair," she reemphasized. "If you care for me at all, you'll just let me live my life. We'll always be connected because of our children, and what we once shared will always be special to me, but this; you and me, it can't happen again."

The mixture of hurt and frustration on his face was unmistakable, and the last thing Carly wanted to do was walk away from him at that moment, but she knew that it was for the best. She mustered up all the strength she could find from within, and made her way up the bank and towards the parking lot. She had turned away from him just in time to let the tears that had been threatening the corners of her eyes to trickle down freely on her face. He didn't try to stop her this time. Despite having detected slivers of faltering in her voice, the decidedness and finality with which she had pronounced that they could never have a future together again had left him staggered and at a loss for words.

Jack stood there for a long while just thinking, reflecting, wrestling; trying to take in and comprehend everything that had just transpired between them. He knew that it wasn't going to be easy, and he sure as hell knew that the pain wasn't going to go away anytime soon, but he also knew that there was still plenty that still remained unresolved.


	3. Doorbells are Meant to be Rung

**CHAPTER THREE: DOORBELLS ARE MEANT TO BE RUNG**

The sound of the doorbell downstairs abruptly brought Carly out of her recurring flashback and the awareness of her present surroundings began to quickly sink in. Seconds later, she opened the door to find her cousin, Molly Conlan, beaming at her.

"Hey Cuz," Molly greeted cheerily, as she walked in, and Carly closed the door behind them.

However, before Molly could continue, she turned around to look at Carly, and stopped short as she surveyed the latter's appearance and crinkled her eyebrow in confusion.

"Why aren't you dressed yet?" she asked her pajama-clad cousin.

"'Dressed?'" Carly blinked.

"Umm…_yeah_!" Molly exclaimed, "Tomorrow night. Charity benefit. Lakeview. Dress shopping. Fashions. Lunch date. Java. Remember?" she asked pointedly, using only keywords to jog her cousin's apparently stagnated memory.

Carly's eyes widened as realization dawned.

"Oh, that's right!" She looked at Molly apologetically. "I'm sorry. I completely spaced on our plans."

Molly could tell that her apology was sincere, but from the expression Carly continued to wear, she could also tell that there was more to follow, and it certainly looked like she wasn't going to like what was coming.

Carly hesitated momentarily.

"Listen, Mol, don't hate me for this," she urged, "but I really don't think I'm going to go tomorrow."

Molly looked upward and sighed.

"Carly-" she started, before she was effectively cut off.

"I'll still go with you right now to pick out a dress, and then we can go grab some lunch at Java just like we planned," Carly negotiated.

That attempt at a compromise, however, wasn't nearly sufficient for Molly.

"Come on, Cuz," she persuaded gently, "When's the last time you went out and had some fun? Besides, how often do we get to doll up and mingle with—"

Molly paused mid-sentence when something clicked inside her head.

"Wait a minute…is this…? Does this have something to do with Jack?" she asked, her eyes narrowing on Carly.

An uneasy Carly reflexively walked past her and began to fidget with the papers on the desk by the door.

"What?" she asked, a nervous, involuntary chuckle escaping her throat, "what could this possibly have to do with Jack?"

"I don't know, you tell me," Molly countered, crossing her arms and tapping her foot expectantly, undeterred by her cousin's obvious attempt to ditch the topic at hand.

When Carly continued to dawdle, Molly stroked her arm soothingly.

"Come on, Cuz, it's me. You know that you can tell me anything."

Hearing Molly's encouraging words, Carly relented and turned around to face her cousin, her expression clearly conveying that there was in fact news to spill. However, before Carly could even open her mouth again, Molly blurted out another thought that had occurred to her.

"Oh my god! Something else happened after that kiss, didn't it?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of barely concealed excitement and curiosity.

Carly stared at her cousin momentarily before sighing and nodding.

Molly seemed so tickled by the news that there had been more developments in the Jack and Carly saga that she hadn't noticed the glum look on Carly's face. She quickly grabbed Carly by her wrists and led her to sit down next to her on the couch.

"Tell me! Tell me _everything_! And don't you _dare_ leave out a single detail!" she warned.

Once settled, Carly took in a deep breath and began to recount the details to her completely intrigued cousin.

Jack rang the doorbell by the white door as he stood in the narrow hallway and shoved his hands back into his front coat pockets.

After a few moments, the door opened to reveal a medium-height blonde with long hair and blue eyes.

"Jack, Hi!" she greeted, a hint of surprise in her voice.

He gave her a small smile.

"Hi Katie."

"Come on in," she invited, as she stepped aside to let him through the door, and then shut it behind them. "Would you care for some tea?" she asked.

Jack looked around for a moment before answering.

"Um, no," he replied. "I actually can't stay long. I promised Holden that I'd drop by the farm and help him with some chores. I just wanted to stop by and see how you and Jacob were doing first."

Katie gave him a knowing smile.

"You mean now that we're staying in Oakdale and didn't leave town with Simon?"

"Um, yeah," he admitted sheepishly.

"Mm-hmm," she said, as she crossed her arms, "and you're just as happy as Margo, and Henry, and Craig, aren't you?"

"No, Katie, listen," he began, as he gave her a sincere look, "I wanted to apologize again for my behavior that day. I honestly had no right to tell you what to do with your life or to control your decisions. I just-", he paused, trying to find the right words before he continued, "Simon; he just rubs me the wrong way, and this time, my need to get at him inadvertently ended up affecting you in the process. It wasn't fair, and I really am sorry."

Katie had listened carefully as he'd issued his apology. She motioned for him to be seated on the couch and settled down across from him as he did so.

She studied him for a moment before speaking cautiously.

"Jack, your reaction to Simon and me leaving...it had to do with Carly, didn't it?" she asked.

The completely readable expression on his face wordlessly confirmed for her that she had guessed accurately.

"It's always about Carly," she said softly.

"I…" he offered weakly after a few moments of awkward silence, although what he was going to say next, he had no idea whatsoever.

Katie smiled compassionately, recognizing the guilt in his eyes from days long past and forgiven; most days forgotten, even.

"Jack, it's okay," she assured him, "you're my brother-in-law; not to mention my friend. What happened in the past is in the past. Besides, I've already told you that you weren't entirely to blame for everything," she said, referring to their brief, failed marriage.

"So, are you and Carly back together?" she asked.

The question startled Jack and he shot her a look of surprise. It took him a few seconds to respond, and there was a twinge of disappointment in his voice as he spoke.

"No," he answered, as he looked down at the floor "we're not back together."

"Oh. When I saw the two of you together that day at the Lakeview, I just assumed…nevermind, sorry, I didn't mean to be so nosy", she said.

"No, it's okay," he assured her, "your sister has been on my case about the same thing," he informed, as he chuckled softly.

Katie shrugged.

"Must run in the family."

Jack humored her with a good-natured smile.

"So, is Jacob sleeping?" he asked, trying to branch away from the Carly topic.

"Yeah," she said, heaving a huge sigh, "I swear, I love my son dearly, but let me tell ya, trying to raise a newborn as a single mother is definitely a labor of love and unending patience. He was up all last night fussing. When I finally got him to sleep, it was nearly three in the morning."

Jack looked at her sympathetically.

"Would you like to see him?" she asked.

"No. No, don't wake him up. Now that you're staying in town, I'm sure I'll have plenty of chances to visit with my nephew."

"Katie," Jack began, a hint of hesitation in his voice, "I know that going looking for Mike and Simon so soon after Brad's death was a bad idea; a foolish idea. Honestly, my own head was so twisted up at the time that I wasn't thinking straight. I know that you're nowhere near ready to move on, so I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but I'm worried about you. You've been cooped up in this house for months now, just taking care of the baby", he gauged her expression before carrying on, "-and don't give me that look, Margo got me up to speed on everything."

Katie knew that she couldn't argue with what her sister had already confided to Jack, so she decided that it was best to just let it be.

"I just want you to live your life again," Jack continued. "I really hope I'm not overstepping my boundaries, but seeing you spend so much time mourning Brad and letting life pass you isn't healthy; for you or Jacob," he pleaded gently. "Besides, I don't think that Brad would want that for you," he added for good measure.

She briefly contemplated his concerns.

"You're right Jack," she admitted, "but come on, you need to take your own advice."

He paused; but then he realized he really couldn't argue with her on that one.

"You know," she said, "I _am _planning on going to the charity benefit dinner at the Lakeview tomorrow night. Henry has been bugging me to go, and I thought, well, it _is_ for a good cause after all, right?"

Jack smiled approvingly at her decision.

"Well, hey, if you need me to watch Jacob while you're gone, I'll be more than happy to do it", he offered.

"Wait, Jack, you're not going?" she asked surprisedly.

"Um, no," he replied quietly.

"Why? Pretty much anyone and everyone in Oakdale will be there. Plus, it's for a collectively good cause."

"Yeah, I know," he said, "but I just don't feel like going."

"Is this about Janet or about Carly?" she asked blatantly, unable to contain her curiosity.

Jack didn't quite know what to say.

"No, this isn't about Janet," he said finally. "She texted me last night to let me know that she was going to be out of town visiting family in Brooklyn for a few days. She wasn't sure when she'd be back."

This news surprised Katie.

"Brooklyn?" she questioned, with a look of confusion, "I didn't know she had family in Brooklyn."

"Yeah, no kidding. I didn't know that myself", he admitted.

"She _texted_ you? Are things really so bad between the two of you that she couldn't call you or tell you in person?"

Jack shrugged.

"No, they're not that bad, but it was probably better this way," he said. "We haven't exactly been doing so well in the communication department for a while."

Katie simply nodded.

"What about Liberty?" she asked.

"She's staying with Teri," he informed her.

"So…then…this is about Carly?" she prodded after a few moments.

Jack chuckled nervously for the second time. He actually wasn't sure if Carly was even planning on going.

"Katie, no this isn't—" he insisted, but before he could continue, she interrupted him.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," she said, holding up her hands, "but we've already established that nosiness seems to run in the family."

Jack laughed at the true statement. Having worked alongside Margo for nearly thirteen years, and having the misfortune of being so well-acquainted with Craig—not by choice, of course—there was no doubt that it was an inherited quality.

"So, what do you say?" he asked, "do you want me to watch my nephew tomorrow while you take a much-needed night off?"

"Would you even _know_ how to take care of a three-month-old?" she asked, laughing.

Jack scrunched his face as he processed the question.

"Hmm…didn't think about that. Good point," he conceded.

"Anyway, I've already arranged for a sitter," Katie told him. "Kelly, one of my friends at WOAK, is going to be watching Jacob. She's raised _six_ children on her own, so she has plenty of experience caring for newborns, which is such a _huge_ consolation for me."

"Oh," Jack responded. "I was just thinking that this could be a start of me making things up to you for my stupidity with Simon."

Katie's eyes brightened as an idea entered her mind.

"Actually, there _is_ something you could do to make it up to me…well, partially anyway," she revised.

"What's that?" he asked, noting the glint in her eye.

"Go to the charity benefit tomorrow night," she urged.

Jack grimaced at the request.

"Don't do this to me," he begged weakly.

"That's my wish, Jack," she insisted. "Come on, you said you owed me. Please?"

Jack watched her tentatively for a moment as she smiled at him encouragingly.

"Okay," he relented finally.

"Good," she grinned. "It's settled then."

"I guess so," he said with a sigh. "Shall I pick you up, or is Henry already doing that?"

Katie laughed at the question.

"Jack, both you and Henry are already staying at the Lakeview! You're practically a one-minute elevator ride away from the banquet hall. I'm a big girl. I can drive all by myself," she said perkily.

Jack smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Here's the thing though," she informed him, "Henry is really excited about the auction, and I know that that'll keep him occupied for a good couple of hours, so I could really use the company while he's splurging away his Stenbeck fortune…although it would be for a good cause."

"Well, then I'd better go get that suit out and ironed," Jack said smiling, "I'll see you tomorrow night?"

"Yup," she confirmed, as she gave him a hug. "Don't forget, it starts at seven. You lose points for tardiness."

Jack flashed her a quick smile over his shoulder before letting himself out the door.


	4. A Surprise Visitor

**CHAPTER FOUR: A SURPRISE VISITOR**

In her kitchen at Milltown, Carly had just finished giving Molly a rundown of her last encounter with Jack; answering and clarifying her cousin's occasional questions in between as she narrated all the details. Sometime amidst their conversation, they'd relocated to the kitchen, where Carly had put on a pot of coffee; and now they stood there leaning against opposite counters, facing each other, sipping and talking.

"Oh my God!" Molly exclaimed, "I _cannot_ believe that he told you he _loved_ you and you _actually _walked away from him!" With her hands firmly gripping the edge of the countertop on either side behind her, Molly leaned forward to examine Carly more closely and check for signs that may indicate whether her cousin had possibly gone crazy.

"Are you insane, Cuz?" she continued. "We're talking about _Jack_ here; the love of your life, the father of your children, the one man you somehow find your back to over and over again."

Carly groaned.

"See, I _knew_ you'd get on my case!" she lamented.

"As I should!" Molly justified, "so, why the _hell_ didn't you call me right after it happened with the 411?" she asked.

"Well, I knew that you were busy getting settled into your new apartment, so I really didn't want to distract you." Carly paused. "How's that going by the way?"

"Oh, it's been great. Wait until you see it, you're gonna love it!"

"I still wish you'd let me help out," Carly said.

Molly waved a carefree hand at her cousin.

"Please Cuz, you had so much going on already; I didn't want to rope you into this too. Besides, Holden and I got to spend some quality time together getting everything set up. Not to mention the breaks in between were a great perk," she said mischievously with a wink. "You're still coming by to see it on Saturday?"

"Yep," Carly confirmed. "So, how is Holden taking the move?"

Molly sighed.

"Well, neither of us are happy about it exactly, but I just felt like it was the right thing to do," Molly explained. "I mean, his kids just had to deal with Lily and Damian groping each other all over their house until recently." Molly cringed. "So I just thought that it wasn't helping them to also have to watch their father canoodling with his new girlfriend at their grandmother's farm. I just wish I'd thought of it sooner. Besides, with me living in my own apartment, Holden and I have more privacy when we want some alone time, you know? Over at the farm, it was like Grand Central Station. We always had to watch our hands every time that damn screen door swung open every five minutes."

"Yeah," Carly agreed, fully aware of the amount of traffic that the farm generated.

"Speaking of kids…how are Parker and Sage doing?" Molly asked.

"Oh, they're fine. Winter break just ended last week, so suffice it to say that they aren't exactly thrilled about being back in school."

Molly chuckled.

"And how is Sage handling Jack's moving out?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Not particularly well. She's really bummed out because she'd gotten used to having him around the house for the past month and a half."

"You mean…like you?" Molly teased.

Carly shot her cousin a disapproving glare.

Just then the doorbell rang. Carly grabbed her coffee mug from the counter and walked into the living room to answer it, with Molly in tow. When she saw who was standing on the other side of the semi-translucent glass door, she gasped in surprise.

"Neal?" she said, when she came face-to-face with him.

"Hi Carly," he grinned, his English accent as strong as ever as he said her name.

"Oh my God! What are you doing in Oakdale?" she asked as she reached out to give him a hug.

"It's a long story," he said smiling. "I'm sorry I didn't ring you. I just thought I'd drop all my manners and show up unannounced to surprise you."

Carly laughed.

"Well, you did!" she acknowledged. "But it's nice to see you. Please come on in," she invited.

"Thank you," he replied, as he walked in.

Upon seeing that they weren't alone in the room, Neal walked up to Molly and extended his hand in introduction.

"Hi," he said smiling, "Neal Stokes."

"Molly Conlan," she said as she returned the handshake. "I'm Carly's cousin."

Neal looked from Molly to Carly at learning this piece of information.

"Well, I see that good looks run in the family," he discerned complimentarily, earning an appreciative smile from both women. "It's nice to meet you, Molly."

"Please sit down, Neal," Carly said and the three of them settled down; Carly and Molly on the couch, and Neal in the chair in front of the fireplace, closest to Carly.

"So, what brings you back to Oakdale?" she asked interestedly.

"Business. Well, mostly business. Although I must confess that I was quite happy at the opportunity of seeing you again."

Carly blushed at the flattery.

Molly tried to conceal a smirk as her eyes darted from Neal to Carly to Neal again. It didn't take a genius to see that Neal was clearly smitten with Carly. They obviously had some sort of history, and now she was brimming with curiosity to find out all about it once she was alone with her cousin.

Carly caught Molly's wayward smirk, knowing full well that she had some explaining to do afterwards, but for the moment, she quickly diverted her attention back to Neal.

"Neal, would you care for a cup of coff—"she started, only to correct herself, "Oh, wait, you like tea," she said smiling, as she recalled him mentioning it to her the last time she had invited him in after they had gone out.

Neal smiled back, looking quite pleased that she had remembered.

"I wish I could stay," he said, "but I have a meeting in about an hour's time at the hospital. That's why I'm back in town, you see. My company just signed a contract with Oakdale Memorial to construct the new neurology wing, and we're supposed to go over all the preliminary floor plans today."

"Ahh, I see," Carly said, better comprehending what "business" had brought him back to Oakdale.

"_So_," Neal emphasized, "although I can't stay for tea at the moment, I was still hoping that we could get together and catch up sometime?" He then quickly held up his hands in the air to further clarify himself, "no ulterior motives. Just two friends catching up," he promised.

Carly laughed.

"Um, sure," she said smiling. "Just let me know when you're free."

"Well, actually," he explained, "Bob Hughes has invited me to the charity benefit that's taking place at the Lakeview tomorrow night. He thought that it would be a good opportunity for me to meet some of the hospital trustees and board members and get to know them on a first name basis in a social environment."

Carly nodded, seeing how it made sense.

Neal paused a moment before he continued.

"I know that this is somewhat last minute, but I was hoping you'd be kind enough to accompany me," he asked. "Unless you have other plans or are already going with somebody else?"

"Well, I…" Carly fumbled, taken by surprise at the question.

"She'd _love_ to!" Molly blurted out.

Carly's head reflexively snapped in her cousin's direction and she shot her an annoyed glare.

Picking up on this, Neal addressed Carly again.

"I hope I'm not putting you on the spot. If you're otherwise engaged, we can always just do lunch or coffee or _tea_ another time," he said, smiling gently.

Carly paused as she deliberated her answer. She'd always liked Neal. He was a really nice guy, and funny to boot. Although he wasn't her idea of a romantic suitor-which she'd made evident to him so as not to lead him on- she had enjoyed his company and his friendship when they'd spent time together the last time he'd been in town. Despite his obvious romantic interest in her, Neal had been a perfect gentleman and respected the boundary, and provided her with a listening ear and gentle understanding at a time in her life when it seemed like the whole world was against her. Feeling more than a little guilty for having taken so much more from him than she had returned in their friendship, Carly felt that she owed him. Prompted by an encouraging smile from Molly, Carly looked back at Neal.

"Neal, I'd be happy to go with you," she accepted cordially.

"Wonderful," he said smiling, and then looked at Molly. "Will you be going too Molly?" he asked.

"Yes sir," she confirmed.

"Splendid. Then I shall look forward to seeing you tomorrow as well. Well, I should be going," he said getting up. "Pick you up at 7:30?" he asked Carly.

"Sounds good", Carly nodded as she got up and walked him to the door.

Neal gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"It was a pleasure meeting you Molly," he called from the door.

"You too, Neal," Molly reciprocated. "See you at the benefit."

"Yes indeed," he said, as he walked out. "Good day, ladies."

Carly closed the door and turned to face her cousin. She knew exactly what was coming.

"So…he seems nice," Molly said, although Carly could easily tell that the casualness in her voice was just a temporary ruse.

Carly sighed.

"Okay, out with it!" Molly ordered.

For the second time that morning, Carly gave Molly another rundown; this time, obviously, on how she came to be acquainted with Neal.

Molly listened carefully and then made a thoughtful conjecture.

"I bet it drove Jack crazy," she speculated.

"Yeah, both Jack and Hol-" Carly began, before catching herself.

"Holden," Molly finished for her.

Carly looked at her cousin guiltily, but Molly looked unfazed.

"That's ancient history, Cuz," she assured her, making Carly relax. "Still…you showing up with Neal…" Molly continued, a teasing smile dancing on her lips, "it'll definitely get a reaction out of Jack."

Carly blew a strand of hair away from her face as a light bulb went on inside her head and she sat up straight and narrowed her eyes on Molly.

"Wait a minute…is that why you wanted me to go with Neal?" she inquired, "to make Jack jealous?"

"Maybe," Molly grinned unabashedly.

"Oh, Mol," Carly said, shaking her head.

"What?" she countered. "Is it any secret that Jack Snyder sees green any time another man eyes his woman?"

"I'm not his 'woman'—not anymore," Carly corrected quietly. "Besides, from what he told Sage over the phone yesterday, I don't think he's even planning on going," Carly responded, as a hint of despair crept in at the thought.

"Like hell he won't," Molly muttered under her breath, bringing her coffee mug up to her mouth to hide the impish grin that had snuck its way on there. She sipped the drink.

"What?" Carly asked in puzzlement, having not heard her cousin and requiring repetition.

"Nothing", Molly responded, lowering the mug to reveal her best imitation of an innocent smile. She quickly changed gears and cleared her throat. "Okay, Cinderella, if you are going to the ball after all, what do you say we get crackin' on finding you that perfect dress? Off you go!" she said as she pointed towards the stairs.

Carly grinned.

"Whatever you say, fairy godmother," she replied as she scurried up the stairs, "just give me ten minutes to get ready."

"Take your time," Molly called after her with an added cheerfulness.

Once Carly was out of earshot, Molly reached for her cell phone and placed a call.

Holden Snyder was sitting at the kitchen table at the farm reading his newspaper and sipping a cup of coffee when his cell phone started to ring. He glanced down and smiled when he saw who was calling.

"Well, hey there," he said pleasantly.

"Hey yourself," Molly grinned into the phone.

"To what do I owe this honor?"

"Does a girlfriend need a reason to call her fabulous boyfriend?" Molly asked flirtatiously.

Holden laughed.

"No, of course not."

Molly bit her lip and smiled.

"Well, actually, there _is_ a reason I called," she confessed.

"Aha! And the truth comes out," he teased, "What's up?"

"Jack's not around is he?" she asked.

"No, not yet, but he should be stopping by in a while. Why?"

Molly paused.

"I need a favor…" she said slowly, the wheels clearly turning in her head.

Ten minutes later Carly came downstairs wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, a green v-neck sweater with argyle print, a beige coat, a white woolen scarf, and black boots; her long blonde hair hanging loosely around her shoulders. When she reached the base of the stairs, she noticed that Molly was on her cell phone, and could tell by the smile on her cousin's face that she was talking to Holden.

When Molly saw Carly walk into the living room dressed and ready to go, she told Holden that she needed go; but not before issuing him a reminder.

"Oh, and Holden?" she said, "don't forget about that little favor you promised to do for me." She flashed Carly a smile.

Carly could've sworn that she saw a distinct flicker in her cousin's eyes, but before she could quiz her about it, she was being shoved out the door and towards her car.


	5. Chemistry in a Coffee Shop

**CHAPTER FIVE- CHEMISTRY IN A COFFEE SHOP**

"What about this one?" Molly asked, as she held a dress up by the hanger and placed it against her body for Carly's input as they stood inside Fashions.

Carly crinkled her nose in thought and then shook her head.

Molly hung the dress back on the rack and sighed.

"You know what the problem is with you designers? You're too damn picky."

"I just don't think those frills are flattering," Carly rationalized.

Her eyes travelled to the dresses on the next rack and she instantly became intrigued by one that protruded slightly more than the others that hung around it; making it stand out.

She walked over and picked it up, and her eyes instantly lit up as she surveyed it in its entirety. The midnight blue satin dress was sleeveless, with a sheath fitting, and an above-the-knee hemline. The square-shaped neckline was connected to a pair of dark blue, sequin-accented spaghetti-straps. It was a simple yet elegant dress; one that she knew would be exactly to her cousin's liking. She smiled as she held it up for Molly to evaluate.

"That. Is. _Gorgeous_!" Molly squealed and enunciated each word for added emphasis.

"It also happens to be your size," Carly informed her, since she had already peeked at the inside label beforehand. "I think it's a sign," she said. "Plus, blue is totally your color. It really brings out your eyes."

She handed it to a reaching Molly, who immediately left to go try it on. Carly continued skimming through various other racks, not completely satisfied with anything she'd seen so far.

A few minutes later, Molly reemerged from the dressing rooms and walked up to Carly.

"You were right," she said as she looked down at the blue dress draped over her arm, "this is the one."

Carly diverted her attention from the dress rack she had been going through and smiled.

"Nothing yet?" Molly asked.

Carly shook her head and went back to leafing through the remaining hangers. After scanning over another two dozen or so dresses, she suddenly froze.

"Now _that_ is _stunning_!" Molly exclaimed, as she ran her eyes over the one that Carly had just picked up.

"It is, isn't it?" Carly said brightly, as she held it up to face her at arm's length so that she could further examine it.

"That dress is your destiny, Cuz," Molly declared. "It is absolutely beautiful."

Carly was in complete agreement.

"Well? Let's see it!" Molly said excitedly, "go try it on!"

She gently nudged Carly toward the dressing rooms.

Three minutes later Carly reappeared and Molly's eyes sparkled at the sight of her cousin.

"Yep! Definitely the one!" she reaffirmed. Then her mouth cracked into a huge grin. "Wait until Jack sees you in it," she added, her voice teeming with glee.

Carly sighed exasperatedly at the statement.

"Mol, I already told you that he isn't planning on going," she reminded.

Oh, riiiight," Molly feigned naively and lightly smacked her head. "Don't know what the heck I was thinking."

Carly shook her head and gave her cousin a half smile as she headed back to her dressing room.

When she had changed into her regular clothes, Carly came back out and scanned the store for Molly; finally finding her in the shoes aisle.

"What do you think of these?" Molly asked as she held out a pair of thin strapped pale gold stilettos. "I think they'd look perfect with your dress."

Carly considered them for a few seconds.

"They're really pretty," she admitted, "but I haven't worn heels that high in a_ long_ time. I think I'll either end up flat on my face or square on my butt before the night's over if I wear those."

Molly jokingly rolled her eyes.

"You're just being paranoid," she dismissed. "See?" she continued as she pointed to the folded dress that Carly was clutching against her abdomen, "that dress is practically _begging_ for these shoes."

Carly snickered.

"Come on, they're on me," Molly said.

"No, Mol. Here, give them to me. I'll take 'em," Carly pleaded.

However, Molly insisted on paying for the shoes despite Carly's protests. Meanwhile, she also found a pair of cute black ones to go with her own dress. After purchasing their items, they exited the store and headed off for lunch. They strolled down the many shops that lined Old Town and discussed matching jewelry to wear with each of their outfits.

Then, suddenly, as they approached an empty store, Carly came to a halt.

Molly stopped alongside Carly and looked at her in confusion.

"Carly?" she asked, her eyes darting from her cousin to the store and back to her cousin again.

"I can't believe it's gone," Carly said, her attention still focused on the small, empty building that stood in front of them.

"Wasn't this the record store? _Otto's Music Shop_ I think it was called…?" Molly asked, as she looked at a worn out poster that was taped against the middle of the window that read 'Going out of business' in large, black, bold letters; with more information in smaller print under it.

Carly nodded.

"I used to bring the kids here every time they wanted the next new C.D. He's a nice guy; Otto. Sage really liked him."

"Damn economy," Molly deduced. "People are struggling just to pay their basic bills that they aren't spending any money on things that aren't necessities-like CDs and DVDs and such. That's why nearly every major record label is reporting a decrease in sales. Besides, with free music streaming sites like Limewire and others, it's much easier to just download the songs online and burn them onto a disc rather than going out and buying them, I guess. Not to mention that you're pretty much regarded a caveman if you don't have an iPod these days."

They both laughed at the semi-true statement and continued walking.

Jack awoke with a jolt in his car seat at the sound of his ringing cell phone. He'd felt really drowsy after he'd exited the grocery store, and given all the sleep deprivation lately, he'd decided to take advantage of the opportunity and catch some z's right there in his car in the parking lot. After all, the seats in his SUV folded all the way back, and he'd gotten rather accustomed to taking naps in it while on the road for almost a month late last year. He yawned and reached into his right coat pocket.

"Hello?" he said groggily.

"Hey Jack, it's me," Holden's voice said at the other end; followed by a brief pause. "Were you asleep?"

Jack groaned slightly as he stretched his limbs within the confined space between his car seat and the steering wheel in front of him.

"Hey Holden," he said, his voice still gravelly from having just woken up. "Yeah, I just thought I'd take a quick nap; but no worries. What's up?"

"Did you forget?" Holden asked. "You were supposed to meet me here at the farm to work on those shelves for the shed, remember?"

"Oh, shoot, that's right!" Jack exclaimed. "Emma's been on our cases long enough to get that done. She even threatened to take away my apple pie privileges if I didn't hunt you down and get it done within the next week."

Holden chuckled, having received the same threat from his mother.

"Listen Holden, I'm just going to stop off and grab a cuppa joe first. I could use some caffeine to wake me the hell up before getting started on some good old-fashioned manual labor."

"You know, there's still some coffee in the pot here," Holden informed his cousin.

"No, I need some in my system _right_ now so that I'm sound enough to drive," Jack explained. "I'll be there in about fifteen-twenty minutes though."

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit," Holden said.

"Bye," Jack said as he hung up the phone and redeposited it back into his coat pocket.

In all of Oakdale, Java had the best coffee in town. Al's coffee was quite good too, but if you wanted a nice, piping hot cup of coffee with a great selection of varieties that could rival Starbucks, then Java was the place to go.

Jack walked through the entrance of the small coffee shop and expected to be in and out of there within a couple of minutes with his to-go cup in hand before heading off to the farm. What he hadn't expected, however, was for the floodgates of all his carefully controlled emotions to come pouring out within the span of a mere second. The sound of a sweet, familiar laughter drifted into his ears, and instinctively directed his head towards its source; effectively amplifying the thudding in his heart at the sight that captured his eyes.

Carly was thoroughly entertained by Molly's ongoing tale of a past blind date where the guy, in addition to being hideously unattractive, had reeked of such a horrifying body odor that Molly had apparently wanted to "throw up _and_ pass out" simultaneously. The stench had become so unbearable in fact, that Molly had made her escape from their restaurant table while he was using the restroom—probably stinking it up too—according to her.

"You did the right thing by ditching the skunk, Mol," Carly giggled, as she rolled up her paper napkin, "I probably would've—"

The sudden sensation that she was the object of an unaltered gaze prompted her to turn her attention in that direction and derailed mid-sentence. Jack was standing there, about thirty feet away, looking at her as if she was the only person in that room of ten or twelve. The moment her eyes locked with his from across the room, any memory of what she was about to say next went flying out the window. He was the only one who had that unique ability to get her heart racing without so much as a word or an action; one look cast her way through those warm brown eyes was all it took. In that moment, that one look had triggered those one dozen sleeping butterflies in her stomach and they instantly sprang to life inside her.

Molly had watched the entire exchange from her seat, marveling at the intense chemistry that two people could create with nothing but sheer eye contact. If it had been twilight on one of these typical chilly winter evenings, and the power had gone out in the coffee shop, she wouldn't have been surprised if the electricity that these two were currently generating in her presence would've both lit up _and_ warmed the place; with plenty of voltage to spare. Realizing that poor Jack could use some help regaining his awareness from the spot he was rooted in, Molly decided to speak up.

"Hi Jack!" she called, waving and gesturing him towards their table.

Somehow tearing his stubborn eyes away from the only face they seemed to long for, Jack looked over at the brunette sitting across the same table and mimicked her initial hand motion. After regaining a small percentage of his brain function, he finally called out his order to Joe, who had been expecting him at the register.

"Sure thing, Detective Snyder," Joe acknowledged, as he headed off to get started on Jack's Espresso Macchiato with an extra shot of espresso.

Jack was truly astounded at his ability to put one foot in front of the other and recalled once again that the action was referred to as "walking."

With each closing step he took in her direction, Carly could feel the damn fluttering inside her intensify. When he finally came to a stop at their table only inches away from her, the musky scent of his cologne permeated her senses and momentarily rendered her breathless.

"Hi Mol," Jack said, offering Molly a smile.

_Dear God!_ Even the timbre of his voice as he uttered those two small words sent involuntary shivers up and down her spine. Carly had to summon up all her willpower to maintain her composure, although all five of her senses were threatening to go into overload at any second.

Now standing close enough to touch her, Jack had to forcibly dig his fists deeper into his coat pockets as a precautionary measure in case of a potential moment of weakness that craved her touch.

"Uh, hi," he said, this time aiming his words in Carly's direction, his voice considerably softer than when he'd addressed Molly. Something about being so close to her, made restoring any eye contact dangerous and painful.

"Hi," she replied, matching his hushed tone and running her forefinger in slow circles around the rim of her glass of water as if it required her absolute attention.

"Shouldn't you be at the farm helping Holden put up those shelves for Emma?" Molly asked Jack and broke the awkward silence.

"Yeah," he said slowly, "I'm actually on my way there now. I just stopped off to grab a cup of coffee first."

His eyes surreptitiously travelled to the slender finger that continued to trace over the tip of the drinking glass.

"Did you just wake up?" Molly asked, noticing his tousled hair.

"Uh, yeah," he said as he turned his attention her way again and ran his fingers to smooth out his hair. "I just took a nap in the car. I haven't been sleeping very well these past two-three days…had a lot on my mind." Again, his glance shifted.

Carly's fingertip froze in its place as she impulsively locked eyes with him, knowing full well that there was an underlying insinuation directed at her in his remark.

"Really?" Molly asked, catching on. "Must be an epidemic going around Oakdale. Carly here just told me earlier that she's been having the same problem for the past two-three days."

At that moment, Carly didn't know whom she wanted to shoot more; herself, or her bigmouthed cousin. Since she obviously didn't have a gun, however, she settled for shooting said cousin daggers through her eyes.

If looks could kill, Molly knew that she had just been fatally stabbed to death…multiple times.

Jack didn't need to utilize his inner detective to recognize that Molly not only _knew_ about everything that had transpired between him and Carly at the lake; but that she had obviously just made an indirect reference to it just now. It didn't surprise him that Carly had confided in Molly; the two of them had always been close as cousins, and ever since Molly had returned to Oakdale, they'd rekindled that closeness. In fact, their relationship was very reflective of the one he shared with Holden, and given that he'd also confided in his cousin about everything that had happened; it all made sense.

Just then, Joe called out to Jack to inform him that his order was ready for pickup.

"Okay, well, that's my cue," he said simply and followed it up with a generic, "I'll see you ladies later."

Carly couldn't help but be bothered by the fact that he had only looked at Molly as he'd said those words and walked away. Suddenly, the fluttering butterflies disappeared, and Carly felt her stomach contort into knots instead. She knew that it was ridiculous for her to be disappointed that he hadn't said more than a word to her, and she sure as heck knew that it was ridiculous for her to be disappointed that he hadn't directly acknowledged her as he'd said his goodbyes, but somehow, it did. In fact, she was ridiculously _bothered_ that it _bothered_ her in the first place.

Jack walked up to the counter, unceremoniously paid for the drink after having placed his order, grabbed his to-go cup, thanked Joe for his service, and headed for the exit. Carly had watched his every movement, and continued to do so as he strode towards the doorway; only to stop and suddenly look over his shoulder. Still an active spectator, Molly's eyes had also been following right along, and they shifted from Jack's face onto Carly's just in time to catch her cousin flush a beet red. Despite her embarrassment at having been caught red-handed, Carly couldn't help but stare back at that face; taking in every feature until hesitantly, it was gone.

Carly leaned back in her chair, her eyes still trained on the same spot that had just been deserted. Then in a move that defied all rationality, she stood up with a start, her chair creaking loudly as it slid along the floor, and hastily headed for the door.

"I'll be right back," she called out over her shoulder to a smirking Molly.

Jack nestled the hot cup of liquid between his bare hands; grateful for the warmth it provided through the winter chill that continued to hang in the air.

"Jack!" he heard the ever-familiar voice call out after him; rendering him motionless and effectively restarting that thudding in his chest again. He turned around to see Carly jogging towards him, her long hair swaying gently from side to side as she did so. Within seconds she was standing directly in front of him. He watched her curiously as she brushed aside a strand of blonde hair that had strayed onto her cheek.

There was a small silence that consisted of nothing but two people looking intently at each other before she spoke.

"Sage told me that you're staying at the Lakeview."

"Uh, yeah," he said quietly as he gave her a small smile.

"Weren't you bunking at the station?" she asked.

"Well, I was, when I thought that Margo would reinstate me back onto the force, but given that she's refused to do that, I didn't think it was appropriate for me to stay there," he explained.

"She won't reinstate you back onto the force? Why?" Carly asked, confused. "I thought she couldn't wait to have you back."

Jack looked at the ground and shrugged.

"She does want me back on the job," he said as he shifted on his feet, "but she wants me to get my personal life in order first, you know—so that I can focus on the job one hundred percent."

"Right," Carly said softly and nodded.

Once again silence hung in the air, while blue eyes remained fused with brown ones; the rest of the world temporarily forgotten.

"I should probably get back," Carly said finally as she motioned sideways with her arms and pointed both thumbs towards Java.

"Yeah, right, I should probably head out to the farm," he said, his eyes studying every inch of her face. "I'll see you later."

"Bye," she said quietly.

However, turning around and walking away wasn't an option—not yet—so they lingered there for a few spare moments. Finally Jack began to slowly backpedal; his eyes still fixated on the blue ones he seemingly couldn't get enough of. Then, for the sake of his own sanity, and the safety of innocent passersby, he reluctantly did an about-face, leaving her and the coffee shop behind. Carly stood there watching as the profile of his back got smaller and smaller, until he rounded the corner towards the parking lot and disappeared. With a huge sigh directed skyward, she turned around and returned to her inquisitive cousin.

"Hey Holden," Jack said, as he walked into the small 15 by 12 foot shed that stood at the south end of the Snyder farm.

"Hey Jack," Holden replied, looking up from two stacks of wooden planks that were sitting on a long table at the far corner of the shed. "You ready to get to work?" he asked.

"Let's do this!" Jack said, rubbing his hands together to signal his readiness. He took off his coat, hung it up on a hook by the door, and walked over to the table and stood next to Holden as he sized up the planks.

"Okay. So these we'll use for the cabinet frames," Holden instructed; pointing first to the larger pile of planks on the left, "and these we'll use for the shelves," he finished; pointing now to the smaller pile of planks on the left.

Jack nodded in agreement.

They reached for a handful of nails and brackets that sat in small boxes on the table, grabbed a power drill each that lay next to the boxes, and got to carpentering.

About thirty minutes and a _lot_ of noise later, they had finished assembling four almost identical 4-foot tall cabinets with built-in shelves. The two men stood back and examined their joint workmanship. Holden walked over to the table at the corner of the shed and picked up a gallon-sized brown can that sat next to it.

"Mama wants us to finish them with a double coat of varnish," he said, holding up the can by the handle and placing it on the table, "you know: to keep out the termites and prevent water damage and such."

Jack smiled and nodded, not at all surprised by Emma's additional demands.

"So, what are these shelves for anyway?" Jack asked.

Holden shrugged.

"I have no idea. She just said that she needed more storage space."

They grabbed a couple of paint brushes and got back to work once again; each working on a cabinet on either side of the table with the can of varnish in between. When they had painted in silence for nearly ten minutes, Holden knew without a doubt that Jack's mind was completely preoccupied. Of course he also knew exactly why—or rather, who—was the object of that preoccupation. He hadn't expected them to do much talking over the loud buzzing of the power drills earlier while they were building the shelves, but it was very uncharacteristic of Jack to stay quiet for so long when the opportunity for conversation presented itself; especially given how close they were. Holden glanced sideways at the man in question as he spoke.

"So, did you know that they're starting construction on that neurology wing at Oakdale Memorial in a couple of weeks?" he asked.

"Oh yeah," Jack responded, as he continued to paint.

"Turns out they're contracted with the same construction company that did the subdivision out here at the farm a couple years ago," he informed his cousin.

Jack's brush froze in its place and his head snapped in Holden's direction.

"You mean..?" he started.

"Yeah. You remember Neal Stokes?" Holden asked, as he verified Jack's impending question.

"Right…him," Jack said, as his grip on the brush handle tightened considerably.

"Apparently he's heading up the project," Holden informed.

"So…he's back in town then?" Jack asked, as casually as possible.

"Um, yeah," Holden nodded from across the table, as he watched a section of unfinished wood being jaggedly and ungracefully coated in silent response at the news. "Molly was at Milltown this morning, and it turns out he stopped by to see Carly."

Jack's blood pressure soared to new heights at record speed and his jaw clenched reflectively.

"_Really?_" he asked, aiming for nonchalance, but missing by a country mile with his sharp tone.

"Uh, Jack. That's about ten coatings too many," Holden warned, as he watched his cousin slather the same section of wood repeatedly with his brush.

"What else did Molly say?" Jack asked, ignoring—or not hearing—Holden's heeding. "Did he and his charming English accent make a good first impression?" he sneered, subtlety damned at this point.

"Molly seemed to think he was nice," Holden said evenly, although he knew full well that his cousin was on edge. He braced himself before delivering the blow. "It turns out that 'he and his charming English accent' are taking Carly to the charity benefit tomorrow night."

It was impossible not to notice Jack's brown eyes flare red at this last piece of information.

"She _agreed_ to go with him?" he asked, both surprised and maddened at the same time.

"Yeah, apparently she did," Holden confirmed calmly. "I mean, they _are_ friends. They hung out a few times when he was in town the last time," he tried to reason.

"Right," Jack said dryly, as he angrily dumped the paint brush into the can of varnish, with such force that it splattered stray droplets onto the table. "You should've seen the way he'd look at her Holden…" he started, before he caught Holden's eyes and trailed off mid-sentence.

Holden looked away briefly; plagued by guilt, but then regained his poise and faced his cousin.

"Yeah, I know, Jack," he said quietly. "I remember being quite jealous myself."

For a moment, old feelings of hurt and betrayal crept up inside Jack again, and his hands balled up into fists at his sides; but then he also knew how much Holden regretted everything that had transpired, and realizing that it was now ancient history, decided to forego his brief instinct to throttle his cousin…or better yet, dump that large can of varnish on him.

"I'm sure that getting to romance Carly will be a nice, added perk for him, what with landing such a huge business contract and all," Jack continued sarcastically in his tirade against Neal.

"You just going to sit there and let it happen?" Holden asked as he looked at Jack pointedly.

Jack met his gaze before lowering it to the ground.

"She doesn't want to get back together, Holden," he said quietly. "She made that quite clear the other day when I told her I still loved her. So what's to say that she won't give Mr. Universe another chance? How did Lily describe him way back when? 'He's funny, he's handsome, he's wealthy'…and blah blah blah." He really didn't care enough to finish quoting all of Neal's supposedly great qualities.

"Listen man," Holden said as he walked around the table over to Jack. "You want Carly back? You fight for her. You let her know that you're still the one for her. If you seriously think that this Neal guy is any competition at all, then you're a damn idiot. Not to mention you're completely underrating Carly."

Jack listened to his cousin and took in his every word.

"And how exactly do I go about that, short of telling her that I still love her?" he asked as he added in a short pause. "Oh wait, I already did that, didn't I?" he finished sarcastically.

Holden rolled his eyes.

"Whoever said it was going to be easy, Jack?" he pointed out. "But, for starters, you can go to that charity benefit tomorrow night and make sure that you're all she can see and think about," he suggested firmly.

"Well, it's not like I have much of a choice," Jack replied. "Katie already talked me into going, and I promised her that I would."

"Huh. Well, that's good. It'll be good for her to get out of the house," Holden said, secretly glad that the last part of his 'favor' to Molly was already done. He quickly went through his mental checklist. _Tell Jack that Neal is taking Carly to the charity benefit dinner; check. Subtlely encourage him to fight for Carly; check. Get him to go to the benefit; double check. _

"So, when did you talk to Molly?" Jack asked suddenly.

"Uhh…maybe about an hour ago. She was still with Carly," Holden informed him.

"I saw them you know," Jack said. "They were having lunch at Java when I went in to grab a cup of coffee. Suffice it to say that it was all kinds of awkward."

"Right…and seeing her again after thinking about her at all hours of the day; everyday for the past two days didn't make up for any of that," Holden teased.

Jack looked at his cousin seriously and sighed deeply.

"You think she'll actually come around?" Jack asked.

"I hope so," Holden said and then paused. "Like I said, it won't be easy. But you need to actually stick with it this time until you get her back," he said.

'_This time_'? Those words made Jack narrow his eyes on his cousin.

"What do you mean by 'this time'?" he asked.

Holden weighed his words carefully before he answered.

"Well…it's just that the last time she turned you down, you didn't exactly do very much to convince her otherwise. Then, when she did come around and wanted to give the two of you a chance again, you didn't exactly take her up on it," he explained.

That comment rendered Jack speechless and hit him like a ton of bricks.

"You mean when I ended up proposing to Janet?" he asked quietly, as a guilty expression clouded his face.

Holden nodded solemnly.

"You went from telling Carly that you loved her and asking her for another chance to proposing to Janet all within the span of a few days," he pointed out honestly.

This time Jack got a taste of what it must be like to be Wile E. Coyote after being clobbered over the head by a giant-sized anvil.

"She's fought pretty damn hard for you in the past, Jack," Holden added. "Maybe it's your turn to do the same now."

Jack stood in silence for a few long moments, racked with guilt at the blatant truth behind Holden's remarks; knowing full well that he had committed each of those actions, but not fully feeling the weight of their consequences until now.

"I've _really_ been an ass, haven't I?" he asked finally as he looked over at his cousin for confirmation.

Holden simply grinned hintingly and shrugged before turning serious again.

"Listen Jack," he advised, "I'm probably the last guy who should be doling out advice on the subject, but if you've decided that you want Carly and Carly alone; well, then first things first, you gotta take care of some other business," he said, gesturing with his right forefinger and tapping his empty left ring finger to get the point across.

Jack nodded, having received the message loud and clear.

"I have to talk to Janet," he said thoughtfully.

With that, the men returned their attention to the big can of varnish that sat there and waited patiently for them. As they continued to work, Jack couldn't help but take a few more swipes at a certain Englishman he definitely wasn't looking forward to seeing again.

At Java, Carly took another sip of her water and stared towards the door. Molly watched her silently for a few seconds, trying to pick apart her thoughts.

"He isn't coming back, you know," she said. "He's probably at the farm all hot and sweaty, looking all macho with a power drill in his hand and those biceps flexed and..."

Carly returned her cousin's impish smirk with a stern look; although she had to admit that the mental image that her description had conjured up inside her mind suddenly destabilized her breathing.

"You still love Jack. Admit it," Molly said staunchly.

Carly looked at her; a profound expression in her eyes.

"I never once said that I didn't. I'll always love him; that'll never change," she said quietly, "but as far as us reuniting again, we can't go back there. Not ever," she finished solemnly.

"Do you realize what a huge contradiction that is?" Molly reasoned. "If you're so sure that you'll never stop loving him, then how can you be so sure that the two of you can never have a future together again?"

She raised her eyebrow at Carly questioningly and challenged her cousin to convince her otherwise.

"I—"Carly began, only to be interrupted by Molly's ringing cell phone. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

"Hold that thought," Molly said, as she firmly pointed a finger at Carly before she reached into her purse to retrieve her phone. She looked at the screen and smiled.

"Well hello there. Missing me already?" she asked.

"Of course," Holden smiled, as he stood outside the shed; a good distance away from earshot. "So, that thing that you asked me to do…well, it's done."

Molly squealed with delight and her eyes lit up.

"Good work, soldier," Molly joked. "Was the entire mission a success?" she asked.

"I'd say so. In addition to the little tidbits you wanted me to feed him; I also gave him some advice of my own."

"And..?" Molly asked, as she bit her lip and grinned, sending Carly a momentary glance before she averted her eyes.

"I think he knows now what he needs to do," Holden confirmed confidently.

"Perfect," Molly said, the grin still pasted in place.

"Okay, well, I'd better get back and help Jack finish painting those shelves," Holden said, as he glanced over towards the shed.

Molly and Holden made quick dinner plans for that night before getting off the phone with each other.

Carly eyed Molly suspiciously as she stashed her phone away.

"What the hell is going on? What was that look you gave me?" she asked, as she placed her elbow on the table and leaned in to look at her cousin more closely.

"Nothing. You were sitting in front of me, Holden said something nice, and I reacted," Molly said coolly. "Ready to go?" she asked, as she reached for the check that was sitting on their table.

Carly held a hand up in the air.

"Oh no you don't! You paid for those shoes, so lunch is on me, Cuz. It's the least I can do," she said as she grabbed the bill from her Molly's hand and reached into her purse to retrieve her wallet.

When Carly was done paying, the two women gathered their things and headed out together.


	6. The Spell of Beauty

_**Author's note- **Hi guys. Sorry chapter six is a bit late. It was a combination of real life, lack of sleep(that needed to be made up), and writer's block that caused the delayed. I just started volunteering at the SPCA, so that has been taking up a lot of time lately, and I'm trying to get all my training hours covered soon so that I can work with one-on-one with the dogs there. I'm so excited! So anyway, the point is that this will likely mean that there'll be more of a gap between chapters from now on, since I'll have more stuff going on during the week. I had originally aimed for a chapter a week, and I promise to abide by that no matter what!_

**CHAPTER SIX: THE SPELL OF BEAUTY**

"But, _why_ can't you go with Daddy?" Sage asked her mother a second time as she trailed after her into the kitchen.

Carly stopped by the refrigerator and spun around to face her persistent daughter. It scared her sometimes how much Sage resembled Jack when she went into interrogation mode; those same determined brown eyes, the same no-nonsense attitude, and that same give-it-up-lady-I-know-you-too-well-for-you-to-pull-one-over-me expression.

"…and I want _more_ than a 'we've been over this already'" the twelve-year-old added, with her eyes narrowed and her arms firmly crossed.

Carly thought for a moment before issuing any explanations. Obviously the response she'd given the girl the first time had been far from sufficient.

"Your father isn't even going," she said finally, as she reached into the cupboard above the stove and grabbed an energy bar.

That turned out be easier than she'd expected…although, there was that feeling of dismay at the thought again.

"Wait. Who said that?" Sage asked, confused. "When I talked to him this morning, he told me that he was going," she said.

Carly froze in place at the words, 'he's going.' She turned to face her daughter.

"Your father's going?" she asked, trying to pose the question as casually as possible.

Sage rolled her eyes.

"Duh!" she said. "That's why I thought you guys should go together."

"But, you told me the other day that he wasn't planning to go," Carly said, still playing catch-up.

Sage shrugged as she helped herself to the jar on the counter.

"He wasn't," she said, as she bit into a chocolate chip cookie, "but this morning when I talked to him, he said that he was." She paused and looked at her mother. "I thought you knew," she added.

Carly processed this latest piece of information and unconsciously twisted the strings of her bathrobe as a dozen scenarios of how this new development could potentially change the course of this night swirled around in her head. They ranged from ones of sweet smiles and pleasant conversations to ones of awkward glances and uncomfortable silences—the latter two unfortunately prevailing over the former, more positive ones. Still, that nagging feeling of dismay had now magically disappeared and she knew exactly why, even if admitting it out loud was not an option she could afford.

"Mom?"

The sound of her daughter's voice fetched her back to reality.

"Hmm?"

"I thought you knew," Sage reiterated, watching her mother closely.

"I didn't...but that doesn't matter. I know now. Well, I should go get ready," Carly said quickly, as she headed back into the living room, with Sage in tow. Midway through, she suddenly stopped, turned around, and pointed a stern finger at her daughter. "Now, Neal is going to be here in a little while, and I want you to be on your best behavior. Understood?" she stated firmly, as she looked at Sage pointedly.

"But mom—" Sage started to protest, only to be silenced by her mother's narrowed eyes.

"Sage, there is nothing left to discuss," Carly asserted. "Now remember, I want you to be your sweet, charming self when Neal comes by, alright?"

With that, Carly pressed a quick kiss on top of her daughter's head and bounded up the stairs. Sage gave a stiff smile in the direction of the stairs and then walked over to the coffee table and picked up the book she had been reading minutes earlier and plopped onto the couch with a huff.

It's not that Sage didn't like Neal. She did. She'd only met him briefly once when she and Carly had run into him at Old Town a couple years ago, and he had seemed like a nice guy. In fact, she recalled liking his accent and telling him so, which he seemed to appreciate. What she hadn't liked, however, was the way he had looked at her mother as he had asked her when she was available to go out to lunch with him again. Something about that twinkle in his eyes when he had looked at Carly during their five-minute conversation that day had made her uneasy. As far as Sage was concerned, that kind of special twinkle at the sight of Carly was reserved for one man's eyes only—her father's eyes. And she'd seen that twinkle again, during Jack's recent stay at Milltown. Sage had observed her parents quite closely over the course of that month and a half, and she knew for a fact that she wasn't imagining things. That twinkle in his eyes; despite everything he was saying and doing out loud, reflected what he truly felt inside his heart. She had also seen that same special gleam in her mother's eyes. No matter how much her parents had tried to convince her—and convince themselves otherwise—she had felt like all they really needed was a nudge in the right direction. It was what had motivated her to enter that ridiculous 'Miss Snowflake' pageant in Detroit; to get them both together, away from all the distractions and complexities of Oakdale—to make them realize that they still loved each other. Though her parents had denied their feelings when she'd confronted them, and the trip had fallen short of its ultimate goal of seeing them reunited, she'd gained a reassurance from the whole ordeal that her parents weren't nearly as far apart as they liked or pretended to be. Even with her father still being married to Janet, there was something—_something_ between him and her mother that had changed…or maybe it was something that had been there all along, but had only found its way back up to the surface again recently.

She knew that it wasn't going to happen overnight—especially not with Jack Snyder and Carly Tenney as the couple in question, but she also knew that it was only a matter of time. She could just _feel_ it, and the excursion to Detroit had only strengthened her hope for an inevitable reunion between her parents. So, in that sense, the trip had been a success.

Still, she had to wonder how Neal's reemergence in her mother's life would affect the entire operation. For some blessed reason, she couldn't see her mother getting seriously involved with the guy; and she certainly couldn't imagine that her father would be very thrilled about Neal spending a lot of time with Carly-just as friends or otherwise. In fact, she expected to see the same reaction out of him that Craig's presence seemed to bring out—and even the mention of Simon, actually. Of course that was just speculation on her part given that she had nothing concrete to go on, but she had to wonder if seeing Carly hanging out with another man would actually motivate Jack to confront his feelings, and work to an advantage. Time would tell, and she would certainly make sure of that.

About fifteen minutes later, Sage answered the doorbell to find Neal standing there, holding a bouquet of two dozen pink roses in his arms.

"Hello Sage," he said pleasantly with a smile. "My goodness, you're so much taller than you were the last time I saw you…but just as pretty."

"Hi Neal," Sage said, softening slightly at the compliment and sheepishly tucking a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. "Come on in." She looked upward, in the direction of the stairs and hollered, "Mom, Neal's here!"

"Neal, I'll be down in about five minutes," Carly's voice yelled from upstairs.

"It's alright. Take your time," Neal called back.

Sage motioned for Neal to have a seat in the living room, and as he sat down in the chair closest to the foyer, she picked up her book from the coffee table and resettled herself on the couch.

"Ahh, 'The Half-Blood Prince'," Neal said, pointing to the book Sage was holding. "It's my favorite from the entire series."

Sage's eyes widened with surprise.

"_You_ like Harry Potter?" she asked, gobsmacked.

Neal laughed at her reaction.

"Well, don't look so shocked," he said smiling, "that's a darn good piece of literature." He paused for a moment, his smile conforming into a smirk. "Now if only there was a way to really use that Confundus Charm on my Aunt Emily…"

Sage's eyes lit up as she laughed. She closed the book; using her fingers to bookmark the page she had just been reading, and scooted to the edge of the couch, closer to Neal.

"Why? What does she do?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing," Neal said dismissively as he waved his hand in the air, before looking back at Sage and grinning, "she only makes the most ghastly Shepherd's pies in all of England, and my poor stomach has to pay the price each time I visit her and she shovels spoonfuls down my mouth. Now, I carry around a bottle of Pepto-Bismol on hand just in case. At least with the Confundus Charm, I could probably feed the entire thing to her and then pretend I ate every last morsel."

Sage broke out into a fit of giggles. When the laughter had subsided, she leaned forward and looked at Neal, an inquisitive expression on her face.

"So, if you could create your own Patronus, what would it be?" she asked eagerly.

"Hmm…that's a tricky one," Neal said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "I'll need a minute to think about this one."

Sage smiled as Neal deliberated her question, and waited for him to reveal his choice. Clearly, the mutual fanhood for Harry Potter had opened up a new aspect of friendship for both parties that neither one had expected.

Upstairs in her bedroom, Carly stood in front of the dresser mirror and checked to see if either her outfit or her makeup required any finishing touches. So far, so good. She did a quick 360-degree turn to complete her inspection, and decided that she was good to go. In fact, she was quite pleased with the finished product, if she could say—or rather _think_ so herself. Normally she wouldn't have spent those extra ten minutes fussing and perfecting her hair and jewelry, but sometimes, last minute news can do that to a girl. She finally grabbed her black evening clutch; her long, black formal coat; and headed out the door. She just needed to make one quick stop before heading downstairs.

She walked down the small hallway and knocked on the last bedroom door. She waited for a few seconds, and when there was no answer, she tried a second time. Again, nothing. Carly finally decided to open the door and slowly poked her head in. She found her eldest son sprawled out on his stomach on his bed with the sound of alternative music blaring from his headphones, his face buried in a sports magazine. He sat up with a start when he saw her come in and yanked his headphones away from his ears.

"Mom! Geez! Doesn't _anybody_ knock anymore?" Parker asked, irritated.

"Oh, I did knock," Carly informed him. "In fact, I knocked again for added measure. Doesn't _anybody_ answer a knocking door anymore?" she joked lamely, knowing full well that Parker hadn't heard her knock through that ear-throbbing music.

"Whatever," he responded, in typical teenager fashion and settled back into his previous position on the bed.

Carly knew immediately that neither she nor her apparent lack of closed-door etiquette were the real reason behind her son's sour attitude. She studied him for a few seconds before walking closer.

"Parker. What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said dryly, in a tone that clearly denoted the exact opposite.

Carly sat down at the edge of the bed and watched him closely.

"You wanna talk about it?" she asked gently.

Parker looked up from his magazine and paused before answering.

"No, not really," he said finally. "Besides, don't you have to go to that function?"

"Parker, I'm your mother. You really expect me to just walk out of the house knowing that something is bothering my son?"

He finally turned on his side to look at her completely and sighed.

"It's nothing, Mom," he said. "I'm just going through some stuff."

"Liberty 'stuff'?" Carly guessed, recognizing her son's all-too-familiar reaction at the mention of the name.

Parker simply nodded.

"What happened?" she asked.

Parker deliberated whether he wanted to divulge any more information to his mother. Finally, he relented, sighing deeply before he could continue.

"Tyson just told me that he saw her at Old Town with this guy. Apparently they were being very touchy-feely and having milkshakes together."

"So? Maybe they're just friends," Carly offered. "Friends can be that way with each other sometimes, right?"

"Mom, you don't get it. It was Andrew Sterling—one of the most popular guys in school. He's had a thing for her for ages now."

Carly tried to conjure up the nurturing mother within her…making sure not to overstate it, of course, given how Parker hated being treated like he was still her "little boy"…even though as far as she was concerned, he always would be.

"Parker, I know it's not easy," she said soothingly, "but if Liberty wants to see someone else, you have to let her. You can't tell her otherwise or try to stop her."

"But Mom, when we were trapped in the woods a few days ago, we got closer—a lot closer than we've been in a while…and for a while there, I thought that maybe we could get back to where we were once. She even made me think that she felt the same way. Now, all of a sudden, she's seeing this guy? I don't get it," he said frustratedly.

"I'm sorry, Honey," was all Carly could contribute at that point.

Parker turned away and stared at the wall straight ahead of him.

"It's fine. I'll figure it out, he said solemnly. "You should get going to the benefit instead of sitting here and giving me advice on my love life."

Carly lovingly patted her son's back.

"I'm here for you anytime you need me," she said with a smile. She paused for a moment. "Are you sure you don't need me to stay?"

Parker chuckled softly.

"Mom, I'm a big boy. I'll be fine."

Carly nodded, knowing that pushing him wouldn't help matters any.

"Listen, I left the money for the pizza on the kitchen counter. Just make sure you give the guy a twenty percent tip when he delivers. Make sure all the doors and windows stay locked. Also, remind Sage that she needs to get started on that project for her science class after dinner. Oh, and can you please stay downstairs with your sister?"

Parker nodded; very familiar with his mother's rundowns, having heard most of them every time she left him and his sister alone at home.

Having said everything she needed to say, Carly got up and headed for the door, only to be stopped by Parker's voice.

"Mom," he said, looking at her over his shoulder, "You look really nice."

Carly's heart swelled with love for her son. Despite the tough-guy act that he put on, which kept him from expressing his emotions at this stage in his life, there were times like these when Parker's love for her would shine through during little moments like these.

"Thank you," she said, offering him a bright smile before she exited the room and shut the door behind her.

Both Neal and Sage must've heard the loud clunking of Carly's heels as she made her way downstairs, because they were both staring in her direction when she came into view. As she walked into the foyer, Neal stood up, speechless; his eyes fixed on Carly.

"Hi Neal," Carly smiled.

"Carly, you look…" Neal began, only to pause in search of the perfect adjective, "…exquisite," he finished with a warm smile.

"Mom, you look so pretty!" Sage exclaimed simultaneously.

Carly blushed, flattered by the positive reviews thus far.

"Thank you, sweetie," she said, walking over to Sage and giving her a hug. "And thank you, Neal," she said, turning to face him.

"I mean it, Carly," he reiterated, "you look _absolutely beautiful_. I guess I'll be arriving there with the belle of the ball," he said grinning, making Carly blush even more. "By the way, these are for you," he added, extending the bouquet of pink roses that he was still clutching towards her.

"Oh Neal, they're _beautiful_," Carly gushed as she accepted the flowers.

"I'll put them in a vase for you, Mom," Sage offered, taking the flowers from Carly, and trying to ignore the recurrence of that twinkle in Neal's eyes.

"Thank you," Carly said, giving her daughter a grateful smile. "Well, we should get going," she said to Neal, who nodded and made his way towards the door to hold it open for her.

Carly turned to look at Sage one last time before heading out.

"Now, remember. I left money for the pizza on the kitchen counter. Make sure you've had your dinner on time. I'll have my cell phone on _vibrate_ all night, so call me if you need anything. I know that it's Friday night, but after you've watched some T.V. and played your video games and what not, I want you to get cracking on that science project, okay? Keep all the doors and windows locked, and I'll try to be back before bedtime. Still, if I'm not, lights out at ten." Carly looked at her daughter pointedly, to emphasize the importance of her list of instructions.

Sage indulged her mother with a nod.

"Okay, bye," Carly said, blowing Sage a flying kiss from the door. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Sage called back. "Oh, and give daddy a kiss for me!" she blurted out additionally, just as the door was almost all the way shut.

However, it immediately swung open again and Carly gave her daughter a sharp look.

"Bye mom," Sage said sweetly, grinning impishly as she did so, "I'll come lock the door."

Carly lightly shook her head even as she smirked.

Outside, Neal had watched the entire exchange.

"What was..?" he started to ask, pointing towards the door.

"Don't worry about it," she said, waving a hand at Neal. "That's just Sage being Sage," she explained fondly.

"Let me guess…she wants the two of you to reunite?" he asked, smiling softly.

Carly sighed and confirmed his question with a nod.

"I'm still trying to make her understand that that won't be happening," she said.

"Well, it's only natural that she would want her parents back together," Neal said thoughtfully. "My parents divorced when I was just eight, and I remember wanting so badly for them to reunite." He paused. "Of course in their case it didn't happen, but it didn't stop me from hoping, I suppose."

"I hate to disappoint my daughter, Neal," Carly said quietly, "but I don't know how else to make her see that Jack and I won't be getting back together again."

"Why not?" he asked reflectively. "I mean, you _are_ available, am I right?" he asked.

Carly amusedly raised an eyebrow at him.

"So, who told you?" she asked with a curious smile.

"Kim Hughes," Neal confessed. "You see, I was at the hospital visiting with Dr. Hughes, and I happened to ask Kim, who was there, if you were seeing anyone. She informed me that you weren't, which is why I had no qualms about asking you to the charity benefit." He paused. "I hope this doesn't sound too audacious, but I must say that I was slightly relieved," he admitted, a guilty expression on his face.

"Not at all," Carly responded with a smile as she shook her head.

"So…Holden Snyder…?" Neal asked cautiously.

Carly sighed at the mention of that not-so-proud time period of her life.

"It's a long story," she said tiredly. "I guess I can fill you in on the way."

Carly and Neal headed down the walkway towards the street to where Neal's car was parked.

At the Lakeview, Jack made his way through the crowded banquet hall, scanning the place for familiar faces. He looked at his watch, which read '6:54.' He still had a few minutes before losing those cool points that Katie had warned him about; besides, he didn't think that she was there yet anyway. He glanced around at the charity booths that were lined up against both opposite walls of the room's elongated side, adjacent to the smaller walls that housed the entry/exit doors on both ends.

"Jack!" he heard Holden's voice call out to him from behind and he turned around to face his cousin.

"Hey Holden."

Usually Jack would've shook his cousin's hand, but given that they had seen each other only an hour earlier at the farm before Holden had headed out to pick up Molly, it seemed quite moot.

"Hi Jack," Molly said as she emerged from behind Holden.

"Molly," Jack greeted her with a smile and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "You look fantastic as always," he said sincerely.

"Thank you," Molly said graciously. "You look quite dapper yourself."

"Oh, thanks," he grinned.

Jack had decided on his dark grey suit for the occasion, pairing it with a light blue dress shirt; a dark blue tie with a simple, tiled design; and black dress shoes.

Just then, Katie and Henry appeared and pleasantries were exchanged all around. Henry quickly excused himself from the group and took off in the direction of where all the auction items were being showcased.

After a few minutes of small talk, Molly decided to make the conversation more interesting…at least for her.

"I wonder where Carly and Neal are," she said loudly to Holden, wondering whether Jack would pick up on her ulterior motives. What she did know is that despite his looking straight ahead at the decorations on the wall at the far end of the room, his ears were most definitely trained in her direction.

"Neal?" Katie asked, throwing a quick look in Jack's direction at Carly's name being associated with another man.

Molly nodded.

"Yeah, Neal Stokes. He's that handsome English contractor who's working on the new neurology wing at the hospital. Apparently he was here a couple of years ago, working on the subdivision at the Snyder farm. Have you met him?" she asked Katie.

"Only briefly," Katie replied. "Definitely seemed like a nice guy," she added, nervously glancing sideways at Jack.

"Oh yeah," Molly said brightly, "Carly introduced us the other day; he is rather charming. Not to mention I'm a total sucker for English accents."

Holden shot Molly a quick glare. She knew that it wasn't jealousy, but a definite warning that she was laying it on far too thick.

"So…is Carly seeing him?" Katie asked cautiously.

"No! No. It's nothing like that," Holden jumped in before Molly could respond, casting a quick glance in Jack's direction, "they're just friends. Besides, he only just came back into town."

Katie nodded, not quite sure what to make of the whole thing, and wondering how Jack felt about it, although it seemed as if he was far too preoccupied with the decorations to really care.

Internally, Jack could feel the knots in his stomach tighten with every Neal-related thought that entered his mind, as he listened to their every word. He had figured earlier that night that he would be able to handle it, but now he wasn't sure he wanted to stick around and watch Carly and her gentleman of an English friend enjoy each other's company all night. Still, there was this longing inside him. Where was she? What was taking her so long? What was she wearing? What would happen between them? He yearned to find out.

"So, Molly, I heard at the station today that you were covering the benefit," Katie said, changing gears after finally noticing the stony expression on Jack's face and realizing that he had indeed been listening to every word.

"Oh, yeah," Molly nodded, catching on. "I just wanted to do a few interviews with the charity representatives. The guys aren't here with the camera equipment yet, so I'm hoping that I can get some dancing in before I get to work," she said, smiling at Holden and curling her arm around his neck, earning a smile back in response. "How's Jacob?" she asked, and Katie began to fill Molly in on stories of her infant son.

Soon, the guys had found something to chat about, and began conversing between themselves.

Neal held the car door open for Carly and extended his hand for her to take as he helped her out.

"Thanks," she said.

"You're welcome," Neal responded, as he locked the car. "So, I suppose a lot has changed since I was last here."

"Yeah, that's Oakdale for ya," she said nodding.

On their car ride to the Lakeview, she had filled Neal in on Holden and Molly's relationship, Jack's marriage to Janet, and the events that had led her to rehab. She of course, left out the details of the kiss in the living room and the confession of love by the lake. She wasn't sure she was ready to confide in Neal to that degree at this point...at least, not about Jack. As usual, Neal had been very understanding and supportive, crediting her for being able to turn her life around now that she was back.

"You know, back in England, you have to pre-purchase tickets for a charity event," Neal said, as they began walking toward the hotel entrance.

"Well, this is more of a community outreach," Carly explained. "They want to get as many people involved as possible, so they open it up to the public and sell tickets at the door. It's not a formal sit-down dinner type of thing."

"So, do you know what charities are involved?" he asked.

"Well, Oakdale Memorial facilitates this event every year, and they usually get one or two national organizations to participate, and the rest are local charities that are looking to build awareness and raise money for their causes through fundraising. From what I saw in the newspaper the other day, I believe they're working with Susan G. Komen—the breast cancer foundation this year."

Carly could see Neal's face fall slightly as he stopped suddenly, and she soon remembered why.

"You're thinking about your wife, aren't you?" she asked softly, recalling that he had told her before that she had passed away from breast cancer a few years ago.

Neal nodded somberly.

"I donate to them every month in honor of her, you know," he confided. "I suppose tonight will be no different," he added with a wistful smile.

Carly gently grabbed Neal's elbow and ushered him up the entrance to the Lakeview. They checked their coats in at the desk in the lobby, and then waited in line at the door for Neal to purchase their tickets.

"Do you see Molly anywhere?" Carly asked Neal, as she looked into the crowded room once they were through the doors; although her eyes were searching the heavily packed hall for someone entirely different…and of the opposite sex.

"Not yet," Neal replied, clearly oblivious to Carly's ulterior purpose.

After a minute of having no success locating their intended targets, they decided to work their way through the masses…looking for "Molly", of course.

Meanwhile, Holden had spent the last five minutes trying to convince Jack that he would be okay going out to take a look at a young stallion in Chicago by himself.

"Jack, you're being ridiculous. I'll be fine. Besides, it's not like this is out of state…it's Chicago; basically a stone's throw away."

"Holden, I'd just feel better going with you," Jack persisted.

After thinking he had lost Holden for good following that horrendous car wreck late last year, Jack was not the least bit comfortable letting Holden drive out by himself...even if it was only as far as Chicago. Not to mention that the recent loss of Brad had him feeling more overprotective than ever. After all, Holden was more like another brother to him than a cousin.

"Jack, I'll be fine," Holden reassured him, apparently to no avail.

"Listen, I'm unemployed. I'm just sitting around browsing through the classifieds every day. This'll actually give me something to do. Besides, when's the last time we got to really hang out, huh?"

"Yesterday," Holden said with a smirk.

Jack was not amused.

"Right. Putting up shelves and coating them with varnish was a great example of male bonding."

"Well, we had a good talk though, didn't we?" Holden asked, his eyes signaling the significance of their conversation.

Jack couldn't argue with that.

"Holden, I'm going, and that's that," he stated firmly.

"Good! That settles it then," Molly said, jumping in quickly, having had enough of the back and forth between the two men. It really made no sense for Holden to be stubborn about the whole thing anyway.

Holden turned to look at Molly and started to object, only to notice that Molly's attention had shifted past him and over his shoulder.

"Hey Cuz!" Molly called out through the crowd.

Carly looked to her left and saw her cousin grinning and waving to her from a short distance, and she automatically returned both actions.

Molly's two words were enough for Jack's head to impulsively snap in the direction her attention was focused in; however, all he could see from his vantage point was a group of older people engaged in a serious discussion of some kind. Of course the quick reaction hadn't gone unnoticed by Holden, Katie, and of course, Molly, who had in fact, expected nothing less.

Suddenly the older group parted slightly to make way for two people weaving their way through and Jack's breath instantly caught in his throat. He was grateful that he had pinioned his feet firmly enough to the ground to sustain the gust that threatened to knock the wind out of him. Carly looked breathtaking—and that was an understatement. It wasn't an unusual phenomenon to Jack, given that he had marveled at how agelessly beautiful she had remained over the years since the moment they'd met—and no doubt would until the day he died—but she still never failed to get his heart pounding with that same intensity that she had the first time he had consciously realized that he was head over heels in love with her.

Carly finally found herself standing only a few feet away, looking at the face her eyes had been searching through the crowd for only moments earlier. Now that he was standing before her, looking at her with that intensity that scintillated every part of her body, a deep hunger inside her had finally been satisfied. She took in every inch of him and expected no less from his appearance. Of course, what she saw, she liked. I mean, _really_ liked. Although he didn't wear a suit very often, on the rare occasion that he did, he could kill in it. Sophistication suited him just as nicely as the urban, everyday look comprised of a pair of jeans thrown together with a polo or dress shirt. By now, everyone's focus was on the two people who were still frozen in place; bodies, eyes, minds…hearts even, maybe; only synced with each other; the crowd fading into oblivion. Jack could momentarily sense them staring—but only for a moment—after which, he really didn't care. His eyes were too busy feasting, no beholding, the woman standing before him.

She was wearing a strapless, gold-colored dress with a mid-thigh hemline. The dress was comprised of two layers: the inner layer consisted of a goldenrod-colored satin slip; and over it, was a layer of very thin, transparent, lighter goldenrod mesh overlay that veiled the satin material, extending an inch lower than the first. The two tones of gold blended together in perfect harmony, creating an elegant shade; far from gaudy, like most gold-colored dresses had a tendency of becoming. Fortunately for Carly, being a designer had taught her how to choose tastefully even while selecting wardrobe from a risk-taking color. A thick, two-inch sash made from the inner goldenrod satin material ran across the waistline to complete the ensemble, giving the skirt a graceful swing. However, Jack's eyes had long finished browsing the outer workings of the dress and had glided over to the enticing spot inches below her small, heart-shaped gold pendant necklace. The soft sweetheart neckline, accented with a thin ribbon of gold-colored embroidery rested delicately over her breasts, exposing just enough cleavage to titillate his senses and parch his mouth. He internally battled with the part of his conscience that called him out on being a pervert by justifying that it wasn't his fault that he knew exactly what was below that neckline and under that dress and how much it allured him; yesterday, today, tomorrow…and for the rest of his life. 'Okay, enough' he scolded himself, letting his eyes drift up to her bare, smooth, porcelain shoulders; her creamy complexion glistening under the soft lights from the ceiling. Her silky blonde hair was swept up neatly and twisted into a simple, elegant hairdo—not a hair out of place, revealing a pair of gorgeous gold chandelier earrings that matched the shimmer in her eyes. It was only a matter of seconds before his eyes floated down to appreciate those long, slender legs that deserved to have an entire soliloquy devoted to them alone. The high-heeled matching stilettos on her feet only added an extra element of sexiness that she wasn't lacking by any means even otherwise. To call her a goddess would've been no exaggeration; not as far as he was concerned.

"Wow, Carly. You look absolutely stunning," Holden said admiringly, leaning over to give her a hug and peck on the cheek, effectively breaking the spell in the process.

"Thank you, Holden," Carly managed, after tearing her eyes from their fixed point. "You look very sharp yourself," she said, quirking his tie playfully and making him smile.

"Hey Mol," she said, as she reached over to hug her cousin.

"Hey Cuz," Molly said excitedly, pushing Holden out of the way to gain better access to her cousin. "Ohhh, you look so beautiful," Molly finished, stroking Carly's back affectionately.

"Aww, thanks. So do you," Carly returned, "told you blue was the way to go!"

"Yes you did. As if I ever doubted my favorite fashionista," Molly smiled with a wink.

Carly also greeted Katie with a smile and a hug; this being their second one in years, all in the same week, following the one at the Lakeview the day of her "goodbye party", when she was to leave town with Simon. Carly had been surprised to hear from Molly just yesterday that she had seen Katie at work at WOAK since then. While Molly didn't know many of the details, she had learned from a co-worker that Katie had decided to stay behind and raise Jacob in Oakdale, while Simon had decided to move on. Although Carly was curious to get more details as to what prompted Katie's sudden change of heart, she had more important matters to tend to at the moment. She slowly turned to greet the only person she hadn't verbally acknowledged yet; having already earned his eye-contact, which she had guessed hadn't shifted at all this entire time.

"Hi Jack," she said, her tone automatically hushed compared to when she'd addressed the others.

"Hi Carly," Jack returned, his husky tone matching hers, sending those familiar tremors down her spine.

Just then he noticed a figure standing next to Carly and the warmth that accompanied his eyes as he'd spoken those last two words dissipated when his gaze transferred.

"Neal," he nodded curtly, taking great care to make sure that his jaw bone didn't clench.

"Hi Jack," Neal replied pleasantly, not at all fazed by the other man's apparent stiffness.

For Jack, that quintessential "cheerio" attitude did nothing but aggravate the same pinched nerve even more.

These were times when Holden's ability to read his cousin like a book and run interference came in handy.

"Hey Jack, you wanna help me bring these lovely ladies—and Neal too, of course—something to drink from the bar?" he asked, making sure to give Neal a polite smile to make him feel included in some capacity.

"Uh, yeah," Jack said before turning his attention back to Carly, while Holden checked with Molly, Katie, and Neal on their drinking pleasures. "Apple Cider, okay?" he asked.

"Sure," she said with a smile, melting away any of his impending irritation with the Englishman standing beside her...at least for a few seconds.

"Okay, we'll be right back," Holden said as he gently tugged on Jack's sleeve, cueing him to follow.

Jack couldn't resist one final glance in Carly's direction before turning around and heading after Holden.

"So, Carly looks absolutely stunning, doesn't she?" Holden asked when they were out of earshot.

Jack smiled impulsively.

"When doesn't she?" he asked rhetorically, because to him, it was a known fact of life.

"Well, you certainly couldn't peel your eyes away," Holden teased. "I gotta tell ya Jack, I was a little hurt that my existence was completely disregarded and ignored for a little while there."

Jack smiled at his cousin, knowing that the ribbing was good-natured.

Since the Lakeview bar was situated outside the banquet hall, the sponsors had created a make-shift one inside the facility for easier access to all attendees at the far end of the room, next to the main entrance.

When they got there, Holden placed his set of orders with one of the bartenders, while Jack gave the second one his; two apple ciders.

They sat on the barstools as they waited for the glasses; Holden taking in the crowd and lively atmosphere around them, and Jack deep in thought. Suddenly, the loud thump of Jack's palm slamming against the counter startled Holden, and he looked at him in wide-eyed surprise.

"I won't do it, Holden," Jack said, his voice laced with strong determination. "I'll be damned if I let him think he can charm his way into her life again."

Holden knew by the intense blaze in his eyes, that his cousin was dead serious and meant business.


	7. Fate is a Fickle Mistress

_**Author's note- **This chapter is dedicated to my sweet Allie for all her encouraging words and her friendship that means so much to me. It's also a bribe hoping that she'll rehire me after I suffered from a terrible case of writer's block this past weekend!_

**CHAPTER SEVEN: FATE IS A FICKLE MISTRESS**

Now that a certain pair of mesmerizing brown eyes were no longer clouding her senses to the very core with their presence, Carly had a chance to finally take in all the sights and sounds around her. Every facet of her surrounding atmosphere started to come into focus one by one for the first time that evening.

The banquet hall was lavishly lit by four large chandeliers that hung in a row and ran down the middle of the ceiling along the length of the room. The soft glow of the fixtured wall lamps that intermittently accented the entire hall added a sophisticated touch of ambiance to the place. The rhythmic beat of a pop song being performed by a live band pulsated steadily in the background through the speakers. The lyrics of the song were drowned out by the din of the crowd and a loud mixture of chattering and laughing as clusters of people of varying ages—dressed mostly in formal attire—engaged in numerous conversations throughout the span of the room.

Based on the enormity of the crowd that filled the hall, Carly roughly estimated an attendance of at least six to seven-hundred people; with an ongoing influx of guests still making their way through the open doors of the main entrance, further increasing that number. Carly browsed the booths that were lined up against the elongated walls; three on either side. She skimmed over each banner that identified them by name and cause, recognizing most of them through some prior form of media communication: T.V. commercials, radio spots, magazine ads, newspaper exposure, hearsay, etc.

Looking towards the main entrance through the thick crowd, Carly noticed traces of the bar at the far left corner of the room—knowing that Jack and Holden were somewhere there waiting for the drinks. To the right corner was a make-shift stage where the live band was still performing the same catchy pop number. A small mob consisting mostly of echo boomers were out there grooving to the music on the dance floor in front of the band. Next to the stage was a D.J. station that was currently unoccupied, but most likely intended for use later on in the evening. Carly turned to the opposite side of the room where another pair of large, open wooden doors stood; these leading to the sizeable garden outside. To the right corner of the room was a brightly lit stall displaying a plethora of auction items: arcade games, musical instruments, sculptures, paintings, artifacts, jewelry, gift certificates—amongst a surplus of other things. To the left corner was a large stall set up with an array of dinner and dessert choices available for sale. The staff continued to shuttle rations of food and cutlery in and out the side door behind the stall, which provided easy access to the Lakeview kitchen where everything was being stored and prepared. In front of the stall was a restaurant-style set up of tables and chairs where patrons could sit and dine at ease.

"I guess Janet's still not back from her trip," Molly commented, redirecting Carly's attention back from the crowd.

"I guess not," Carly said, overcome by an involuntary sense of relief.

Molly had informed her of Janet's sudden trip to Brooklyn after Emma had mentioned it to her in passing the day before. She had also divulged to Carly what a pleasant surprise it had been to see Emma cooking in _her_ kitchen for once without Janet's overbearing personality frolicking about the place and ordering people around while she prepared another one of her putrid, self-proclaimedly "famous" recipes. Although Emma had since returned to be with Meg, it had nonetheless between refreshing to see the Snyder family matriarch at work in her haven during her one day visit to Oakdale.

"I'll be right back," Neal said leaning into Carly's ear and she acknowledged him with a head nod.

The women engaged in some small talk for a while, until they'd run out of things to say, which led to an uncomfortable silence between them—moreso an awkward division between Katie and the two cousins.

"So, you're probably wondering what I'm still doing here in Oakdale, aren't you?" Katie asked Carly, effectively ending the drought of spoken words.

"Well, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't the least bit curious," Carly confessed as she offered a small smile.

Katie returned the smile; appreciating the honesty, and began to recount details of how things had unraveled that day with Simon following her "goodbye" party, and what had led her to make the final decision to stay behind in Oakdale with Jacob.

"So, what do you plan to do?" Holden asked Jack; his complete attention now directed on his cousin's face following his fierce pledge about Carly.

Jack pensively shook his head.

"I don't know yet. All I know is that I'm _not_ walking away this time; I'm not going to lose her to someone else…least of all _that_ guy," he stated strongly, pointing into the crowd in the general direction of where Neal was likely standing with the women.

Holden studied his cousin for a few moments.

"This isn't just about being proprietary?" he asked cautiously.

Jack shot Holden a heated glare that conveyed his resentment at the question.

"_What?_ You think this is about me staking my claim?" he asked in aggravation.

"Just asking," Holden stated calmly as he held up his hands in concession.

"I_ love_ her, Holden," Jack said fervently, his eyes reflecting every ounce of his heart's conviction, "and although she hasn't said it back in so many words, I _know_ that she loves me. We _should_ be together. We _will_ be together."

It's not that Holden doubted Jack's motives or his dedication; if he had, he never would've encouraged him to fight for Carly in the first place. Still, he thought it was a question worth raising to read his cousin's reaction.

The passion and intensity that Holden had just witnessed from Jack as he reaffirmed his love for Carly and vowed to fight for her, evoked memories in Holden of days long past when he'd seen that same undeterred resolve in his cousin's eyes for the very same woman. If history was any indication of what Jack Snyder would do to regain the love of Carly Tenney—no matter how great the obstacle—then he needed no further proof of his commitment than what he had just seen right then and there.

"So, have you talked to Janet yet?" he asked, addressing one of the obstacles at hand.

"No," Jack said, shaking his head. "She isn't back from visiting her relatives yet. I tried calling her a couple of times, but she's not answering her cell. I left her a voicemail saying that we needed to talk as soon as she got back. I-"

"Your ciders, sir," the bartender inadvertently interrupted as he placed the drinks in front of Jack from the other side of the counter. "That'll be ten dollars. Is there a particular charity you'd like to contribute to, or would you like for it to go towards the general fundraising?" he asked.

Jack quickly browsed over each booth's banner as he reached into the inner lining of his coat pocket to retrieve his wallet.

"Oakdale Youth Center," he informed the bartender, who nodded as he accepted the bill.

"Margo and Henry must be thrilled that you're staying," Carly remarked, once Katie had spilled the beans about what had led her to remain in Oakdale with her son and not leave with Simon.

"Yeah, and Jack too," Katie said. "You know how it irks him to see Simon get his way."

Katie realized how that last statement could've been interpreted as soon as the words left her mouth and quickly apologized.

Carly smiled gently.

"It's okay. I know what you meant," she assured Katie, putting her at ease. "It's good to see you out and about though," she added sincerely.

"Thanks." Katie smiled. "I think I really needed this…with a lot of help from Henry and Jack."

"Jack?" Carly echoed.

"Yeah, well, Henry's been bugging me to come to this thing with him for weeks," Katie explained, "so I finally said yes. In the meantime, Jack's been on my case about spending too much time at home and not getting out enough, so I talked him into coming tonight so that I'd have some company while Henry is off plopping down all his money at the auction. I'm just grateful that he changed his mind and decided to come."

Carly wasn't quite sure how to react to this news—fortunately for her, Neal rejoined them just in time and served as a good distraction. She noticed the small crisscrossed pink ribbon pinned against his chest to the left side of his suit jacket; right over his heart.

"For Emily?" she asked softly, pointing to the ribbon.

Neal nodded.

"Who's Emily?" Molly inquired.

"My wife," Neal said with a wistful smile. "She passed away from breast cancer a few years ago."

Molly and Katie offered their belated condolences and Katie shared an empathetic hug with Neal, having just experienced the pain of losing a spouse firsthand herself.

Carly noticed that the hug had caused the safety pin that was holding the ribbon at the back to come undone, making it hang clumsily, on the verge of falling off.

"Here, let me get that," she said, as she reached up and repinned the ribbon back into place on Neal's coat.

"Thank you," he said, giving her a grateful smile.

Little did they know that their innocent exchange had been witnessed from a distance and had likely been misconstrued.

"She was just fixing the ribbon for him—no big deal," Holden rationalized before Jack had a chance to speak.

All he got in response was a brusque nod as they continued to make their way back over to the others.

Moments later, Carly saw Jack and Holden resurface with the drinks in hand: Jack with two wine glasses filled with sparkling cider in one hand, and a highball glass—which Carly assumed was Katie's Mai Tai—clutched in the other; and Holden with the stems of three uniform, fluted champagne glasses skillfully threaded between fingers of both hands.

While Holden distributed the champagne glasses to Molly and Neal, Jack first handed Katie her Mai-Tai and then walked around to Carly and extended one of the glasses of sparkling cider towards her.

A jolt of electricity shot through his arm when her fingers smoothly brushed over his as she tried to maneuver her grip onto the stem. Their eyes instinctively met; their hands frozen in place.

"Thanks," Carly said after a few seconds; praying that he wouldn't notice the hundreds—if not thousands—of goose bumps that had suddenly erupted all over her body in reaction to one small touch.

"You're welcome," he said, slowly releasing his grip from the glass, even as his fingers willfully ached to remain exactly where they were.

"So, how long are you back in town for, Neal?" Molly inquired.

"Well, the estimated time for the completion of the project is somewhere between six to seven months at this time—give or take a few weeks. So, I'll definitely be sticking around for a while."

_Six to seven months?_ Jack gnashed his teeth at the sordid revelation. He'd have to put up with this—this _bugger_—sticking around for six to seven months…give or take a few weeks? And what if he decided he couldn't leave Carly after all that time? Or worse; what if _she_ decided to give him the time of day? Jack's head was getting murkier with every new possibility that his wandering mind was concocting of its own accord.

"I'm assuming you're staying here at the Lakeview?" Molly continued.

Neal nodded with a smile.

"Three floors up," he informed, pointing upward.

Jack cringed. Great. Not only was this guy staying at the same hotel as him, but they were apparently also staying on the same floor—although he obviously hadn't crossed paths with him thus far. What was next? The big reveal that they were wall-mates? Jack really didn't think he could be that unlucky and didn't intend to find out…he was sure that fate would have a less than subtle way of breaking it to him in time anyway.

"Oh Neal, if I would've known that ahead of time, I would've just met you here," Carly apologized a second time, the first having been during the drive over to the Lakeview. Unintentional as it had been, she instantly regretted her words when she noticed the wounded expression on Jack's face.

"Carly, it was a pleasure," Neal assured her, not sensing the underlying tension.

"You're a real gentleman, Neal," Molly praised. "By the way, where did you find pink roses? Those are so hard to come by. Carly told me they were beautiful."

"Well, she's certainly worth it," Neal said, sending Carly a warm smile. "I actually bought them right here in the hotel gift shop. I was in there earlier today looking for a good book, and when I stumbled upon them, I thought of Carly."

Holden had observed Jack almost consistently since they'd gotten back from the bar and noticed his jaw clench with each added sentence that Neal spoke. He knew that his cousin was working overtime to tolerate the guy.

"Hey Mol, let's go check out the auction items," Carly announced suddenly as she grabbed Molly by the elbow. "Will you guys excuse us?" she said to the rest of them, putting on her best grin as she quickly dragged Molly away before she had a chance to get a word in.

Although a bit dazed, Molly walked alongside Carly in the direction of the auction stall. However, once they were well-hidden from their group by the swarm of people in between, Carly stopped way short of their intended destination.

"What're you doing?" Molly asked, confused.

"_You_ tell me what the hell _you're_ doing!" Carly retorted. "What was the point of bringing up the flowers?"

Molly simply blinked at her cousin for a few seconds.

"I'm sorry, Cuz. I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret," she teased.

Carly rolled her eyes.

"It's not! But this was about making Jack jealous, wasn't it?"

"Wha—I—" Molly fumbled about, before catching the seriousness in Carly's expression and surrendering. "Yes," she confessed with a sigh.

"Oh Molly!" Carly groaned. "I already told you; making Jack jealous so that he can one-up Neal isn't going to lead to some magical reunion between the two of us. I'm not going back there. I thought I made it perfectly clear that it's over for us," she reprimanded.

Molly crossed her arms and studied Carly's face thoroughly.

"Really?" she asked, unconvinced, "Because with all that eye sex the two of you have been having across the way, you damn well could've fooled me."

Carly dumbfoundedly stared at her cousin with her mouth hanging open.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she offered feebly, her tone diminishing considerably.

"Right," Molly grinned victoriously. "You can't fool me, Cuz."

Before Carly could respond—although she had no idea what to say—an announcement through the loud speakers from the stage interrupted them.

"Ladies and gentleman, can I have your attention please?" the female voice called into the microphone.

Carly stood on her tip-toes to see and confirm for herself if the voice belonged to whom she suspected, and sure enough, she was right. There, in the center of the stage stood an extravagantly-clad Lucinda Walsh, basking in the attention of the spotlight.

"We should get back," Carly said, turning to Molly.

Molly nodded and started to follow Carly, only to wrap an arm around her and jerk her to a halt after they'd walked a few steps.

"Just so you know," Molly said, leaning into Carly's ear and channeling away from Lucinda's loud rambling, "All that eye sex? I think it's_ hopelessly romantic!_" she exclaimed heartily, making sure to exaggerate the last two words for added emphasis.

Carly whirled around to see the playful grin on her cousin's face.

"Oh! We really should be getting back," Molly inserted quickly before Carly had a chance to get another word in and sauntered past her.

Shaking her head, Carly soon trailed after her.

Jack couldn't help the wash of relief and happiness that came over him at the sight of Carly again. Once she and Molly had excused themselves from the rest of the group, there had been a discomforted silence between him, Holden, Katie, and Neal. Fortunately, Katie had put an end to it by questioning Neal about the construction of the neurology wing. While Holden had diplomatically participated in the discussion, Jack had only listened sparingly, opting instead to gaze around the room…until Lucinda's commanding stage presence had demanded everyone's absolute attention. Carly and Molly slipped back in and turned to listen to the flamboyant older woman.

As co-owner of the Lakeview—which was the annual location of the charity benefit—Lucinda had always actively participated in the event in some form or another. However, it was usually from behind the scenes; this was the first year that Carly had seen her take the stage, and from the looks of it, was thoroughly enjoying the experience. Once she had introduced herself and thanked everyone for attending and contributing toward all the causes involved, she began to speak about this year's primary sponsors; Susan G. Komen for the Cure. She held out a flashcard that apparently contained notes and began to read aloud facts related to breast cancer.

"Breast Cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States. About 261,100 women are estimated to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year; out of which 54,010 cases will be treatable due to early detection. Unfortunately, on the contrary, 39,840 deaths are also estimated to occur as a result of invasive, untreatable cases that no longer offer any life-preserving solutions."

Carly instinctively reached over and squeezed Neal's hand for support, knowing that he was overcome by memories of Emily—especially after that last statistic. Neal glanced over at her and gave her a grateful smile; one that she returned. Jack, who had been away at the bar fetching drinks with Holden while Neal had revealed the cause of his wife's death to Molly and Katie, bristled at the physical contact. Holden, too, was baffled by Carly's move, unable to comprehend why she would intentionally upset Jack with such an intimate gesture towards Neal. He breathed a sigh of relief for his cousin's sake when she released her hand; only to look over at Jack again and see that he was still unappeased. Carly had been too occupied listening to Lucinda to realize how her well-intended act had inversely affected Jack.

Lucinda continued her oration by recounting her own battle with breast cancer; starting with her initial diagnosis and moving on to her relapse three years later. She finally concluded her ten-minute long speech by encouraging everyone to continue to donate to all the charities present and enjoy the rest of the evening. Once she had stepped down from the stage, an enthusiastic young guy who looked to be in his mid-twenties introduced himself as 'D.J. Slice' and took over at the D.J. station; immediately kicking things off with a beat-heavy alternative rock song.

As the six of them redirected their attention back into their circle to converse amongst themselves, a mini-tornado in the form of Henry Coleman descended upon Katie and gripped her from behind by the shoulders. He delivered a hurried, generic greeting their way before chirping loudly into Katie's ear.

"Come on, Bubbles. I need you to come and be my good luck charm. Papa needs a new set of golf clubs!"

Katie looked at him sideways in utter confusion.

"You don't play golf."

"So?" Henry said looking slightly embarrassed. "There's always time to pick up a new hobby."

Katie groaned.

"Come, come, come," he said sprightly as he hustled her away.

Katie turned back and issued the group a quick look of apology before letting Henry cart her away towards the auction stall.

Molly couldn't help but chuckle.

"A real card, that one," she said shaking her head as Carly agreed.

"So, how much longer do I have you before you need to get to work?" Holden asked Molly, referring to the interviews that she was scheduled to do for WOAK.

"I don't know," Molly said, glancing down at her watch. "I'd better call the guys and see where they are with all the equipment. They were supposed to come find me when they got here." She paused. "I'll be right back," she said as she reached into her evening clutch to pull out her cell phone and made her way towards the garden to make her call.

Jack couldn't help but glimpse at Carly, only to be caught almost immediately…or, did he just catch her? Either way, she quickly averted her eyes.

"Excuse me," she called out into the crowd as she waved down a passing waiter and set down her empty glass on the tray, thanking him. Jack, Holden, and Neal all followed suit.

Just then, Dr. Bob Hughes approached their circle.

"There you are, Neal," he said as he shook hands with him. He then acknowledged Jack and Holden before looking at Carly. "My goodness, Carly, you look positively wonderful."

Carly smiled warmly and thanked him for the kind words, sensing Jack's gaze from the corner of her eye.

"I wonder if I might borrow you," Bob said, turning to Neal. "The rest of the board members and trustees are quite anxious to meet you."

"Of course," Neal replied cordially. "Excuse me, gentleman," he said to Jack and Holden before addressing Carly with a smile. "I'll be back in a little while."

Carly nodded and watched Neal follow Bob Hughes towards the bar.

"So, Carly, how are Sage and Parker?" Holden asked, taking it upon himself to generate some type of conversation. "They can't be happy that school's started again."

"Oh, they're not," Carly remarked, catching on to Holden's intention; secretly thankful to him for distracting her from refocusing her attention back to where it had remained for far longer than she would've liked only moments before.

"Yeah, Ethan and Natalie aren't exactly thrilled either."

"How's Faith doing?" Carly asked.

"Oh, she's good. Actually, she's coming back to Oakdale for good," Holden said, his eyes lighting up at the prospect of his daughter returning home again. "She'd been begging Lily and me to get her out of boarding school when she was home for the holidays, and we've obviously been missing her like crazy. So, we had a talk with her principal the other day and arranged to have her transferred to Oakdale High."

"Holden, that's great!" Carly exclaimed. "Lily must be so excited too."

"She is," he smiled. "Having Faith back will be good for her."

"Yeah," Carly said, knowing that Lily had been through a lot what with the whole Damian ordeal recently. "This'll be good news for Parker too," she added.

Just then Molly returned.

"Okay big guy, looks like you have me for at least another ten minutes. What do you say we hit the dance floor?" she asked, smiling suggestively at Holden.

"Yes Ma'am," he grinned.

Holden quickly glanced in Carly's direction, making sure that she wasn't looking; and when he noticed that she and Molly were looking over at the dance floor, he quickly signaled to Jack, pointed to her, and inaudibly mouthed a quick instruction to him. He turned and grabbed Molly by the hand before Jack had a chance to respond.

"Come on guys. Don't leave us hanging," Holden said out loud to Carly and Jack.

"Yeah, come join us," Molly added cheerfully.

"Um, do you wanna dance?" Jack asked Carly.

"Sure," she replied, offering him a tender smile.

He gently took her hand and they walked alongside Holden and Molly to the dance floor. By now the D.J. had taken things down a few notches and was playing slower pop ballads that allowed for more intimate dancing between couples. Currently, Lonestar's 'Amazed' saturated the dance floor with its soulful, romantic strains.

_The smell of your skin, the taste of your kiss, the way you whisper in the dark. _

Jack slowly pulled Carly toward him under the dimmed lights and placed his other hand on her hip as he felt her hand glide up and grip his arm. He couldn't help but stare at the starry-eyed, radiant face looking up at him.

_Your hair all around me, baby you surround me; touch every place in my heart._

"You look so beautiful," he whispered, shaking his head as he marveled at the sight of her; drinking it in.

While she'd appreciated every compliment she'd received on her appearance earlier that evening, none of them had made her weak in the knees and sent a delicious shiver up her spine like this one. Maybe it was the way his gorgeous eyes bore deep into her soul as he had spoken those words. Or maybe it was the way she could feel his low, husky voice reverberate from deep within his chest. Or maybe it was that look he gave her that made her feel like she was the only woman in his universe; that all he could see was her.

_Oh, it feels like the first time, every time. I wanna spend the whole night in your eyes._

"Thanks," she whispered back softly, giving him a warm smile that lit up even the darkest recesses of his heart. "And you look handsome as always."

Carly's heart skipped a beat at the smile he flashed her in return; one so bright and so genuine that it made her want to burst with joy.

_I don't know how you do what you do, I'm so in love with you; it just keeps getting better._

"You know, I can't remember the last time I saw you in a gold dress. I didn't realize what I was missing."

_I wanna spend the rest of my life, with you by my side; forever and ever._

"Thanks G-man," Carly replied, her tone hushed so that only he could hear his nickname.

_Every little thing that you do; Baby, I'm amazed by you._

Jack pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her waist as she rested her head against his chest. Carly closed her eyes and inhaled the scent of his cologne; unable to resist herself from breathing it in again and again. Jack rested his chin over her head and took in the sweet smell of her shampoo as it permeated through her soft blonde hair. They swayed gently to the music, their eyes closed, soaking in nothing but each other; leaving behind everything else around them.

Only when the next song began to play did Jack pull back and cast Carly a look of surprise.

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe it," she laughed, recognizing the all-too-familiar tune.

She went back in time to a night many years ago. There was a bar on a roof; a lone piano player repeatedly played the same melody over and over again; and she had been wrapped up in Jack's arms—similar to tonight; the two of them being the only ones dancing to the music. Only, the circumstances were different then—much simpler and far less complicated than the way they were now. They had actually attempted to dance to the same song again a few months ago while they had been on the road in Philadelphia and had heard it at an art exhibit, only to be cut short by an interruption.

"Well, this is quite fitting, wouldn't you say?" Jack chuckled. "We never actually got to finish this dance the last time courtesy of a certain idiot with an accent who shall go unnamed."

Carly indulged Jack's insult against Simon with a fake disciplinary smirk. It was good to share light-hearted moments like this with him again after all the recent angst.

Call it ill-fated or cruel irony, but Jack felt a light tap on his shoulder at that exact moment and turned around to find Neal standing there.

"I hope you won't mind me cutting in, mate," he smiled pleasantly.

Jack felt a surge of resentment rush straight to his head and he had to demonstrate a great deal of restraint and poise as he obliged Neal's request. Recurring flashbacks of Simon only made it that much more of a challenge.

"She's all yours," he said, letting go of Carly and stepping aside.

The hurt that Carly could see on his face as he backed away from her so that Neal could step in brought any happiness that she had felt just moments ago come crumbling down. As much as she would've liked to intervene during the partner swap, she had absolutely no idea what to say or how to handle the situation—not to mention that it had all happened faster than she'd had a chance to react. Within seconds, Jack was completely out of view.

"Carly, are you alright?" Neal asked after a few moments of silence.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, sorry, I'm fine," she fibbed, finally looking away from her fixed point.

"I'm sorry for taking so long, but Dr. Hughes got a bit too ambitious about the project while talking to the trustees," he explained. "I hope it wasn't too awkward with Jack?"

While she and Jack had shared several awkward moments lately, it was hardly a word she would've used to describe everything that had just transpired between them on that dance floor.

"No, it wasn't at all actually," she said wistfully.

"Oh, well, in that case I'm sorry I interrupted," Neal apologized sincerely. "I just thought that it might've been uncomfortable…"

"It's okay, Neal," Carly interrupted, knowing that his actions were pure.

As they continued to dance, Carly did her best not to let him see how distracted she really was; leaving her body behind even as her mind travelled many feet away—about a hundred and forty feet and counting.

"I need a drink," Jack said dryly as he stalked up to Holden, loosening his tie. Holden caught a quick peek of Neal and Carly before they were once again hidden by a few other dancing couples.

"Pull yourself together," Holden told his cousin, "they're just dancing."

"Well, _we_ were dancing until Mr. Mary Poppins decided to cut in," Jack bit out sarcastically.

"Jack, cutting in isn't a crime," Holden reasoned. "Everybody does it these days. Besides, I hate to remind you, but he _is_ Carly's date—or something like that—so he probably sees it as his responsibility to make sure she has a good time."

"I _still_ need that damned drink," Jack insisted bitterly.

"Alright, let's go," Holden said, thumping his cousin twice on the back and leading him towards the bar. "Another sparkling cider?" he joked as they approached the counter and sat back on the barstools.

"Bite me," Jack snarled as Holden chuckled. "Scotch on the rocks, please," he informed the bartender.

"Make that two," Holden added to the bartender who acknowledged him with a nod and got to fixing their drinks. Holden turned to face Jack. "Listen man, maybe you're reading too much into this. I mean, the guy literally rolled back into town a couple of days ago. He probably hasn't even finished unpacking yet, let alone put the moves on Carly."

"Really? Because from where I was standing, he sure as hell wasn't wasting any time," Jack griped.

"Here. Drink up," Holden said as he pushed one of the newly set glasses toward Jack.

Jack picked up the glass and downed the drink in a series of quick gulps, shook off the strong after kick of the spirit, and slammed it back down on the counter; making the ice cubes rattle on impact. He then motioned for the bartender to get started on another. Holden watched his cousin closely, still working on his first glass. To say that Jack was lovestruck would've been an understatement.


	8. Pain Comes in Different Forms

**CHAPTER EIGHT: PAIN COMES IN DIFFERENT FORMS**

Carly tried to tame her wandering mind and draw it back into the present, away from him—to the here and now, as she swayed to the music on the dance floor with Neal—away from those sultry brown eyes, his hypnotic smile, those spellbinding looks, and that ever-beguiling voice; even as seductive wisps of his cologne continued to tormentingly linger at the tip of her nose despite his absence. Try as she did with all her might, so far every attempt had been futile. What kept drawing her back? Why was it so damned near impossible to focus on anything but him? The compass was broken. She'd resolutely made up her mind _not_ to go down that road again; resisting even her strongest urges to give in. Still…

"Has anyone ever told you that you make an excellent dancing partner?" Neal asked with a smile, unintentionally quelling her inner debate.

"Why, thank you," she said, politely returning his smile and trying hard to not look as spaced out as she felt.

"Except," Neal continued, "I feel like something has you a bit preoccupied." He paused as he studied her face. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked concernedly.

Carly couldn't help but feel a little guilty that she hadn't been the best of company as far as Neal was concerned thus far. While they hadn't exactly had much of a chance to interact one-on-one since they'd made their way into the banquet hall, she couldn't help but feel bad that her concentration—for the most part—had been focused elsewhere all night. In an internal struggle between mind and matter, mind was definitely losing by a landslide. Currently, they were dancing to Edwin McCain's "I'll Be"—only, her mind was still four songs behind; still immersed in moments she had shared on the dance floor during the romantic crooning of Lonestar's "Amazed."

"Neal, I'm so sorry," Carly submitted sincerely. "I guess I'm just a bit overwhelmed by all this: the lights, the crowd, the noise—it's been a while since I was in a social setting of this scale."

That explanation, though secondary to the thoughts that had largely consumed her mind, wasn't exactly false. Carly honestly had felt a bit overwhelmed by all the chaos developing around them. It wasn't until those ensuing moments of awareness that she experienced the mutual ache in her feet; courtesy of her new, high-heeled stilettos.

"What do you say we get off the dance floor and head on over to the food stall for some dinner?" Neal suggested. "I'm famished."

"Sounds like a plan," she accepted. "These shoes are trying to slowly kill me. It'll be nice to get off my feet for a while."

Neal smiled sympathetically as he offered her his arm and they walked off the dance floor together.

"Should we look for the others?" Neal asked, scanning the crowd from his rooted spot for any sign of Molly, Holden, or Jack.

"Umm…maybe we can do a quick walk about and see if we can find any of them," Carly proposed.

"Right," Neal said, noticing her wince slightly in pain as they continued to walk through the crowd. "Tell you what, why don't you stay right here and I'll see if I can find any of them?" he suggested.

Carly nodded in agreement. She looked around and tried to see if she could find any of them from where she stood: Jack, or Molly, or Holden…or Jack. Ugh! She scolded herself silently for her lack of mental strength. Then Carly's eyes landed on an interesting sight a few feet away from the D.J. station; standing against the wall nearby, Lucinda Walsh and Lily Grimaldi seemed to be engaging in a rather heated discussion. From the looks of it, Carly got the impression that Lily was letting her mother have it about something or another. Not that it surprised Carly very much. Lucinda always did have a knack for stirring things up—especially when it came to meddling in Lily's life—and Carly assumed that she was once again being reprimanded by Lily for that very reason. Carly had no idea what the disagreement was about, but judging by the intensity coming from Lily's facial features and hand gestures, she deduced that it was a pretty one-sided battle.

"My, you look absolutely magnificent," a voice hissed into Carly's ear, making her cringe automatically in response.

"Buzz off, Craig," she groaned, without bothering to turn around and grant him the courtesy of eye contact.

"Oh, you don't mean that!" he said dismissively as he walked around to meet her face-to-face.

"What do you want?" she demanded, placing a hand on her hip; clearly annoyed.

The last thing she wanted to do right now was indulge Craig Montgomery in any type of conversation; civilized or otherwise.

"Nothing," he said with mock innocence, "can't a guy say 'hello' to a friend-slash-business partner-slash-ex-fiancée without any hidden agendas?"

Carly groaned again.

"Firstly, I am _not _your friend. Secondly, I am no longer your business partner. And thirdly, as sad as it is that I _ever_ was your fiancée and unfortunately can't take it back, thank _God_ that it never amounted to much more than that," she fired disgustedly.

The unmoved expression on Craig's face only irritated her all the more.

"We can still change that," he said coolly. "_Some_ of that at least," he added with a slimy grin.

"Craig, I _really_ don't have the patience to deal with you right now," she said heatedly as she started to walk away.

"Okay, okay, okay," he said, grabbing her wrist.

Carly shot him an indignant glare before quickly yanking her arm free from his grasp.

Craig conceded immediately and held his hands up in the air in surrender. He knew Carly well enough to know that he had nearly pushed her buttons to the limit. He sighed and slowly took a step toward her.

"Say you'll come back to Midnight Sun and resume our partnership," he said, looking her straight in the eyes to let her know that his request was in seriousness.

Carly laughed sarcastically.

"You are relentless, you know that?" she said, shaking her head. "How many times do I have to say it before it gets into that thick skull of yours? I am _not_, nor will I _ever_ go into business with you _ever _again!"

"Carly, we were great together," Craig appealed. "We can still make a huge profit with this company; sky's the limit for us."

"Craig, I don't care about making a profit. I don't even care about the prospects. I'll find my own means of doing so. What I _know_ beyond a doubt is that the next career move I make—success or failure—will _not_ involve you in any capacity."

"So, you _are_ planning on making a career venture?" he probed.

"I do have to feed my children, Craig."

"Will you _at least_ hear me out completely?" he pleaded.

"No," she replied firmly. "Besides, this is hardly the time or place for this."

"Well, given that you refuse to answer my phone calls, text messages, and e-mails, I'm running out of options," he explained.

"Right. And let's not forget that after that little stunt you pulled on New Year's Eve, my actions are more justified than ever."

"I just wanted to talk to you," Craig said defensively. "And maybe if Officer Do-Right hadn't made it his mission to think you were in need of rescuing when he should've stayed in town and tried to work things out with his wife, we would've actually gotten somewhere."

"No. We wouldn't have gotten anywhere. My mind hadn't changed then, and it hasn't changed now. The only problem here is that you don't seem to be getting the message."

Craig paused as he stared at her.

"So, are you and Jack back together again?" he asked suddenly, throwing Carly for a loop.

"What?" she asked incredulously.

"Well, when I saw the two of you at the Lakeview the other day at my sister's going away party, the closeness _was_ rather palpable," he insinuated.

"My relationship with Jack, much like every other aspect of my life, is _none of your business_," she bit out sharply.

Craig looked at her assertively.

"He wants you back, doesn't he?" he asked unfazed.

Carly wrestled with her urge to strangle the man as he stood there with a goading grin on his face. Given the severe consequences associated with the crime, however, she had to settle for shooting him a glare of utter disdain.

Holden watched Jack swirl around an empty shot glass in his hand and shook his head disapprovingly. It was the remainder of his cousin's third drink.

"Okay, what do you say we get off our butts and go and find the girls?" he asked.

"And Neal," Jack added wryly.

Holden rolled his eyes at his cousin.

They settled their tabs by donating to their desired charities, tipped their bartender, and rose from the barstools. They turned around just in time to be greeted by Neal's ever-present smile.

"Hello gents," he said pleasantly.

"Hey Neal," Holden replied.

"Where's Carly?" Jack asked immediately, unintentionally eclipsing Holden's response.

"Oh. She was hobbling a bit after all that dancing, her shoes were giving her some trouble, so I asked her to stay put and relax her feet. She's waiting for us somewhere there," he said, pointing into the crowd in the general vicinity of where he had left Carly.

"Well, that was very thoughtful of you," Jack said sarcastically, earning a reproving glance from Holden.

Picking up on the derisive tone, Neal briefly paused on Jack's face before transferring his gaze to Holden.

"I take it Molly is still in the midst of conducting her interviews?" he inquired.

Holden nodded.

"Yeah. We hardly got one dance in before her camera crew showed up and whisked her away. She's out in the lobby finishing up. She just texted me to let me know that she only has one more to go."

"That's good," Neal said. "Carly and I were planning on grabbing some dinner and we wanted to see if you all would like to join us."

'Carly and I.' 'We.' Jack couldn't help prickling at the exclusive references.

Holden looked over at Jack for his input; he interpreted the shrug directed his way to mean that he was in.

"Sounds good," Holden agreed. "I'll just text Molly and let her know where we are, that way she can come find us when she's done."

"I'll go find Carly," Jack chimed in immediately. "So…over there?" he asked Neal, turning to Neal and drawing an imaginary circle in the air around a portion of the crowd to confirm Carly's approximate whereabouts.

"Yeah," Neal said with a nod.

"Okay," Holden said rubbing his hands together, "I guess Neal and I will go find us a table while you go and find Carly."

Jack instantly walked away and began weaving his way through the masses.

Carly stroked her strained forehead with the tips of her fingers.

"Craig, I am _through_ giving you any more of my precious time," she said angrily. "What Jack and I do and don't do is _none_ of your damn business. End of discussion."

"Carly, I'm just trying to look out for you," Craig explained very matter-of-factly.

"You lost that right a _long_ time ago," she sniped, her eyes glowering at him. "I'm outta here," she finished, turning once more to walk away.

Where she was headed, she had no clue. She figured she'd wander around and see if she could locate the others—_anything_ to get away from Craig. As it was, she had allotted him with more of her attention than she had intended to, and sharing words with him only threatened her chances of incurring a headache—_not_ something she needed when her feet were already in a state of utter turmoil.

"Carly—" Craig started, reaching for her arm a second time to stop her. However, the rapid approach of an indignant voice calling out to him promptly interrupted the rest of his sentence; saving Carly the need to independently react to his actions again in the process.

"Get the hell away from her, Montgomery!" Jack warned sharply as his strode towards them with increased speed.

Craig looked skyward and groaned exhaustedly, simultaneously releasing Carly's wrist.

"Enter the white knight, right on schedule," he muttered cynically, only loud enough for Carly to hear.

Jack came to a halt next to Carly.

"Why Jack, I wish I could say that this is a surprise," Craig said, accompanied by his signature smirk. "But, really, riding to Carly's rescue has become rather routine for you lately, wouldn't you say?"

"Well Craig, with you on the prowl, I make it my job," Jack shot back, inching closer to Craig.

"A little too proprietary for a married man, isn't it, Jack?" Craig baited.

"Okay, you guys!" Carly interjected, quickly stepping between the two men and gently nudging Jack backwards, pressing her palm against his chest as he continued to shoot Craig a murderous glare. "I'm getting tired of refereeing between the two of you every time you both square off. It's getting old and beyond ridiculous. Besides, this is hardly the time or the place," she reprimanded, her eyes darting back and forth between both their faces: Jack's angry one, and Craig's inherently smug one. "Craig, I'd really like to enjoy the rest of my evening, which means getting the hell away from you A.S.A.P. Jack, did you see Neal?"

"Who's Neal?" Craig asked curiously.

Carly chose to ignore him and continued to focus her attention on Jack. Jack obliged Carly's cue and did the same.

"Yeah. He came and found Holden and me at the bar. He told me where I could find you. They're looking for a table right now."

"What about Molly?" she asked.

"She's still out in the lobby finishing up her interviews. Holden texted her to let her know where we'll be."

"Good," Carly noted. "So, shall we get going?"

Jack nodded as he guided her away with a soft touch on her elbow. Carly chose not to acknowledge Craig and continued on towards the tables and chairs set up in front of the food stall. Jack, on the other hand, shot Craig one final scornful look before following Carly, leaving Craig standing there in the midst of the noisy crowd in a state of bewilderment.

"What the hell did he want?" Jack asked Carly as they continued to make their way towards the south end of the banquet hall.

"The same old," Carly said with a frown. "Forget about him. I have no intention of letting him get to me, and you shouldn't either."

"Easier said than done," Jack grumbled.

They found Holden and Neal waiting for them at a round table of five. Despite his chagrin, Jack held the chair next to Neal open for Carly and settled into the empty one on her other side.

"How are your feet?" Neal asked Carly.

"Better," she said with a relieved smile, "it'll be good to get off these heels for a bit."

"Should've pelted one at Craig's hollow head," Jack cracked, as he leaned in towards Carly, making her giggle at what she considered a very legitimate suggestion.

Neal observed the tender moment between the exes and clearly noticed their innate closeness.

"Would this be the same Craig…?" Neal started to ask Carly before trailing off; not quite sure how to complete the question given the numerous things Carly had already told him about Craig earlier that evening.

"Yes. The one and only," Carly said wearily.

"Hey guys!" Molly called out brightly as she walked towards them, effectively raising Carly's spirits with her smile.

"Hey, how did it go?" Holden asked as he stood up and pulled the chair next to him open for her.

"Great. Things moved along pretty quickly, no one yakked too much, so I'd say it went pretty well." She grinned. "Did you guys order already?"

"No," Jack informed her as she settled in between him and Holden. "We just got here."

"Oh. Good timing. I hope we get to order soon though 'cause I'm starving!"

"Ditto," Neal concurred.

The waiting had been pretty efficient and within ten minutes of placing their orders, the group received their meals: Holden had decided on a burger with fries, Neal on a bowl of Macaroni and cheese, Jack on a BLT sandwich with fries, and Molly and Carly had opted to go with salads.

Dinner flew by rather quickly. Molly and Neal had hit it off with a conversation about English and American foods, spurred on by Neal's mention of Mac 'n' Cheese being one of his all-time favorite classic American dishes. Since then their stirring chat had covered such delicacies as trifles, toffees, muffins, scones, and puddings…just to name a few. Carly, Jack, and Holden had occasionally participated in the boisterous discussion, but Neal and Molly had dominated the conversation due to their added zeal for the food items mentioned. Soon, Jack and Holden began planning their impending trip to Chicago the next day to check out the stallion that Holden was considering buying for the farm. Meanwhile, Neal and Molly began debating the validity of the word "mincemeat" in mincemeat pies, given that most contained no meat whatsoever and were usually filled with dried fruits and nuts; Neal in favor of the name, and Molly vehemently against it for being so "misleading."

Carly decided to make a run to the ladies' room while the two sets of people continued to engage in their own separate dialogues.

"Excuse me," she said, momentarily making them look at her as she got up from the table. "I'm just going to use the restroom. I'll be right back."

The rest off her high-heeled stilettos had been a nice breather for Carly, although discomfort started to creep back into her feet once again with every step she took. She braved the returning pain and made her way through the banquet hall and out the door, heading across the hotel hallway towards the ground floor restrooms.

Carly opened the appropriately marked door and entered the powder room, which preceded the actual restroom area; narrowly missing being bulldozed by a huffy Lucinda Walsh who haughtily strutted past her and out the door without so much as an acknowledgement. Carly looked over to see Lily sitting at one end of the couch holding her forehead in her hand. Three other women stood huddled across the room and watched Lily, whispering discreetly. Carly guessed that they had witnessed whatever had taken place between mother and daughter only moments earlier. Carly cautiously approached her former best friend and sat down next to her on the couch. She slowly extended her hand and touched Lily on the shoulder.

"Lily? Are you okay?" she asked gently.

Lily looked up at Carly, her face still showing traces of anger.

"Carly. Hi," she said, clearing her throat. "Yeah, I'm fine—or, at least, I will be. I'm guessing you ran into my mother on your way in?" she asked.

Carly nodded.

"Yeah, almost literally. It was a pretty narrow escape."

Lily chuckled sardonically and half rolled her eyes, not surprised by her mother's actions.

"Well, hopefully that's the last I'll see of her tonight," she said with a sigh.

Carly paused.

"Yeah, I saw the two of you earlier by the D.J. station, too," she confessed.

"Oh God! I wonder how many people saw that," Lily worried consciously.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Carly assured her. "Most people were either too busy chit-chatting, dancing, or doing their own thing. I only happened to notice because I was standing around by myself for a little bit."

"Oh yeah, I saw you out there on the dance floor," Lily recollected, "…with Neal." She paused. "What's going on there?" she asked with a hintful smile.

"Nothing," Carly responded promptly, recognizing the look on Lily's face all too well. "He just came back into town a couple of days ago. He was planning to attend the benefit and invited me to come with him, that's all."

"Sooo, then, this isn't a date?" Lily asked teasingly.

"No," Carly informed her firmly. "Just two friends hanging out."

"Hmm. Well I did hear that he was going to be back for at least a good half a year during the construction of the neurology wing. Things can change."

Carly groaned.

"Oh Lily…"

Lily snickered.

"Okay, okay, I'm done," she forfeited.

"Thank you," Carly said, thoroughly meaning it. "Besides, romance isn't a part of my plans anytime in the near future. I've got enough on my plate trying to rebuild my life."

Lily gave Carly an empathetic look.

"Oh sister, after the year I just had, I know _exactly _what you mean," she agreed.

"I'm just going to concentrate on my kids, staying sober, figuring out my next career move," Carly began to list out, "…and avoiding Craig like the plague."

"Why?" Lily asked in confusion.

"Well, since he's decided to make my life a living hell," Carly said scornfully, unloading some of her pent-up annoyance with Craig after their encounter earlier that evening.

"What? Does he want you back now that Rosanna dumped him at the altar?" Lily asked flippantly, only to be taken aback by Carly's confirmatory nod. "Seriously? He expects you to take him back after everything he did?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Wow," Lily said, flabbergasted.

"I know," Carly said. "Not only that. He wants us to go back into business together."

"Geez. The man is on a dual mission," Lily commented.

"And not planning to let up anytime soon," Carly tacked on. "The man is hopeless. It's like trying to permanently straighten a pig's tail; it's damn near impossible," she said through gritted teeth.

"So, now that you're done with the vodka company and have sold Metro to Dusty, what do you plan on doing next?" Lily asked. "Do you have anything else lined up?"

Carly shook her head.

"Nothing as of yet, but I'll have to come with something soon. I'll go crazy just sitting around the house."

"Were you planning on going back into designing?" Lily asked.

"I hadn't really thought about it much. I mean, I love designing, and it would be wonderful to go back to my roots, but it's been so long...and considering my options here in Oakdale, I really don't see much scope."

"I see your point," Lily said. "Unless you decide to restart Monte Carlo with Craig, of course."

"Oh God, no!" Carly cried immediately. "That's out of the question. I can't stand being around him for more than five minutes in a day. In fact, I'm about two encounters short of taking out a restraining order against that man," she said through gritted teeth.

"I think I need one against my mother," Lily contributed. "She's been on my case non-stop about returning to Worldwide. We can't seem to carry on a conversation for more than two minutes without her tactlessly broaching the subject."

"So, that's what that was all about…?" Carly asked pointing to the door, referring to Lucinda's flighty exit through the door minutes earlier; assuming that the argument she had seen earlier in the banquet hall also fell into the same category.

"Yeah," Lily confirmed. "I know she means well. She thinks that going back to work will help take my mind off of things—you know…Damian, Meg, and all that stuff. But I just don't know if I can handle working with my mother again. I mean, I love her; I just don't think I'd be able to tolerate her. Besides, what I really want is to concentrate on the kids…especially after everything I put them through," she concluded sadly.

"Same here," Carly agreed wholeheartedly. "It's sad that our mistakes end up hurting them, isn't it?" she asked.

Lily nodded; her eyes slightly misting at the thought.

"Hey, Holden told me that Faith is coming back from boarding school," Carly said, attempting to somewhat brighten the mood.

That did the trick. A smile instantly appeared on Lily's face at the mention of her daughter's return.

"Yeah, it's going to be so nice to have her back," she replied. "She'll be my focus, along with Luke, and Natalie, and Ethan."

"It's strange that we're both in pretty much the same boat, isn't it?" Carly asked reflectively.

"I guess we're both at a crossroad in our lives," Lily explained. "Clean slate. We can either revert back to our old ways, or truly learn from our mistakes and move forward."

"Think we can do that?" Carly asked skeptically.

"Of course," Lily assured her with a smile. "As long as we don't let the likes of Craig Montgomery and my mother dictate our destinies."

"Amen," Carly punctuated.

When she returned to their table a few minutes later, Carly found the foursome at the table almost exactly the way she'd left them earlier.

"So, what did I miss?" she asked as she resettled into her chair.

"Neal was just telling me a little more about the neurology wing project and I'm kicking myself for not interviewing him instead of Bob Hughes, who wouldn't even spill any non-confidential details" Molly lamented.

The check arrived a few minutes later and Neal snatched it off the table before Jack or Holden could reach for it.

"Listen guys, let me get this," he said.

"No, Neal, you don't have to do that," Holden replied.

"You folks have been so gracious in letting me hang out with all of you, this is the least I can do," Neal insisted.

"It's really not necessary, Neal," Jack countered somewhat sternly.

"Neal is just being a gentleman, you guys," Molly defended, noting that he really wanted to do this for everyone.

Once Neal had settled the tab and placed the tip on the table, the gang made their way through the tables and back into the crowd. Carly glanced at her wristwatch which read '9:23 p.m.'

"I'm just going to call home and check up on Sage and Parker," she informed the rest of them before turning to Jack. "Do you want to say 'goodnight' as well and tell the kids that you won't be in Oakdale tomorrow?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, I should probably do that," Jack said. "Do you want to go into the lobby?"

"Well, I was just there a little while ago, and it was just as loud as the noise in here. How about the garden?" she asked, pointing to the open doors on the south end of the banquet hall, not too far away from where they were standing.

"Fine by me," Jack agreed.

"Okay. We'll be right back," she told the others before turning to walk alongside Jack towards the garden.

Normally Carly would've felt bad about leaving Neal alone with a group of people he didn't know very well—especially one that included Jack and Holden, but seeing as he was getting along so well with Molly, and seeing that Holden was making a genuine effort to get along with him, she didn't mind quite so much.

Carly and Jack made their way out the doors and down the concrete steps. Jack directed her down the cobblestoned path to the left and pointed to an empty park bench at the far end of the garden. Despite the clear night skies, the winter chill invaded the exposed skin on Carly's shoulders and arms, making her shudder in response. Almost instantly, she felt the cold dissipate as she found herself being cloaked by an oversized coat. She looked up sideways and watched as Jack covered her up with his suit jacket, making sure that she was completely shielded from the cold.

"Thanks," she said softly, her face lighting up with a genuinely grateful smile.

"Don't mention it," he replied, reciprocating her smile with one of his own.

Carly pulled the jacket around her more tightly, embracing the inner silk lining that still radiated the warmth of his body heat. Her nose once again traced the intoxicating scent of his cologne from his coat lapels.

There weren't very many people out in the garden, Carly roughly counted about a dozen—mostly couples—who were huddled up into their own corners either standing together or sitting on one of the park benches; most of them too focused on each other to pay attention to anything else. Carly could hardly blame them given the romantic setting she suddenly observed encompassed around them. The lampposts that bordered all sides of the rectangular garden were dimly lit, much like the lawn lights that ran the outer perimeter of the large lawn in the middle of the courtyard. There were several bushes and trees scattered around the expanse of the garden; most of them lush and green despite the weather. The stars and the full moon twinkled in place under the cloudless sky.

Carly and Jack settled into the empty bench and Carly reached into her clutch to retrieve her cell phone. She pressed down on the speed dial button that was assigned to the landline at Milltown. Sage answered the phone at the other end after the second ring. Carly spoke to Sage for a couple of minutes, checking to see if she and Parker had had their dinner and also check on the status of her impending science project. Sage assured her mother that she had dedicated some time to her homework and then informed her that Parker was in the kitchen talking to Liberty on his cell phone. Carly then handed the phone over to Jack, who explained to his daughter that he would be in Chicago with Holden the following day. From what she could make out of the conversation as she sat next to Jack, she could tell that Sage had taken the news okay. When Jack had finished speaking to their daughter, he exchanged a quick 'I love you' and 'Goodnight' before handing the phone back to Carly.

"Sage?" Carly said as she placed the phone against her ear.

"Mom," Sage said at the other end, "Are you and Daddy alone?" she asked, hardly able to contain her anticipation.

Carly didn't like where this was going—especially given that Sage's 'Daddy' was sitting right next to her.

"Yes Sage," she replied, "we just wanted to check in on the two of you and also let you know that your Dad will be out of town tomorrow."

"Where's Neal?" Sage asked.

"Neal is inside with Holden and Molly. Your dad and I are going to go rejoin them soon."

"So Daddy was with you guys the whole time?" the twelve-year-old inquired.

"Yes," Carly said with a sigh.

"And did the two of you have fun together?" came the next question.

Carly shifted uncomfortably in her spot on the bench, cautiously glancing sideways at Jack, who was looking down at the ground. She knew that he was listening—not that he had much of a choice given the relatively quiet night surrounding them—she only hoped that he hadn't figured out what their daughter was saying at the other end of the line.

"Sage," Carly said firmly. "I'll be home soon, okay? Either way, lights out at ten."

"Mom—"

"I love you," Carly finished, avoiding another question she was sure she didn't want to field. She heard a frustrated groan before her daughter returned the sentiment.

Jack chuckled.

"Persistent, isn't she?" he asked, confirming Carly's inhibitions that he had indeed caught on to their daughter's attempt at playing twenty questions.

Carly laughed nervously as she stowed her phone away.

"Yes she is," she agreed. "Ready to go back inside?" she added quickly.

Jack nodded and got up.

Carly picked up her clutch and started to do the same, only to lose her balance as her left heel landed unevenly between two cobblestones.

"Woah, I gotcha," Jack said, reacting swiftly and wrapping his arms around Carly's waist to prevent her from falling down.

She securely gripped his arms as he slowly steadied her back onto her feet; their faces only inches apart.

"Thank you," she said, looking deep into his eyes.

"Anytime," he whispered.

Though Carly was now completely on her feet, neither one of them had let go. Carly watched as Jack's gaze slowly travelled from her eyes to her lips and then back up to her eyes. She was rendered completely motionless.

Then, without explanation, their lips met in a soft kiss. It was only a short kiss; one that lasted no more than a few seconds, but it was enough to get Carly's heart racing. Things were no different for Jack. He had dreamed of kissing her again since the day they'd shared that kiss in the living room earlier that week, and a quick smooch wasn't going to be nearly enough to satisfy that desire. Their mouths continued to linger close—no more than an inch apart—almost as though unable to break free from some invisible magnetic force that would not allow either of them to pull away. They went in again, their lips locking more securely this time, making them moan in unison at the intense contact. Carly's hands roamed up Jack's arms and wrapped around his neck as he urged her body closer to his. Their mouths parted once more—only momentarily for breath—before they became engulfed in each other again. Their lips moved in passionate synchronicity, eliciting another moan from Jack that made Carly shiver. Then, something inside Carly suddenly clicked, and she quickly pulled herself free from his arms. She looked at him in utter shock as they both stared into each other's eyes, breathing hard.

"I cannot believe I just did that," she said, breathlessly and wide-eyed, her fingers lightly touching her lower lip.

"You were following your heart," Jack reasoned, trying to catch his own breath.

"I succumbed to nostalgia," Carly countered.

"Is that what you're going to tell yourself every time you allow yourself to kiss me?" Jack asked, taking one step closer to her.

"It won't happen again," she declared stubbornly.

"And yet it already has," he said, reminding her of the pledge she'd made by the lake the day after their kiss in the living room.

"I have to go," she said, quickly whirling around and heading back up the cobblestoned walkway towards the banquet hall. She stopped suddenly and turned around, slipping the coat off her shoulders and gathering both sides of the collar. She walked back towards Jack and held it out. "Thanks again," she said quietly.

Jack couldn't bring himself to say any more. He simply nodded and accepted it slowly, unable to hide his disappointment as she once again turned around and began walking away. He watched her go back up the path and disappear out of sight. He stood there under the soft glow of the nearby lamppost; his hands tucked into his pant pockets and his coat draping over his left forearm. He looked down at the ground, the same sullen expression still pasted on his face.

Carly zigzagged her way through the crowd and found Neal, Holden, and Molly standing together.

"Neal, do you think you could drive me home now?" she asked, still slightly breathless.

All three of them looked at her in surprise.

"Are the kids okay?" Molly asked before Neal had a chance to respond.

"Oh, yeah, they're fine," Carly replied. "I'm just so tired I can hardly stay awake anymore."

"But, the night is still young, Cuz," Molly argued.

"I know Mol, but I don't think I'd be very good company anyway. Besides, I think my feet have gone through enough torture for one night," Carly said pointing to the floor.

"Oh yeah, Neal was telling me about the shoes" Molly said, cringing at what her cousin must be going through. "I guess they just need to be broken in. If not, I have the receipt, so we can go exchange them."

"Sounds good," Carly responded quickly as she turned to Neal once more. "Shall we?" she requested.

"Of course," Neal said. He shook hands with Holden while Carly gave her cousin a hug and a kiss on the cheek, and then alternated with Carly to shake Molly's hand while Carly hugged Holden. "Thank you both for a nice evening," he said as they started to part ways.

"Bye Neal" Molly said as he and Carly started to walk away. "Thanks again for dinner!"

"You're welcome," Neal called back over his shoulder, flashing her a quick smile as he and Carly made their way through the crowd.

"Is it just me, or was something completely off there?" Molly asked Holden with a perplexed expression on her face.

"I was wondering the same thing," he responded.

"So, do you want to tell me what that was all about?" Neal asked Carly once they were out of the crowded lobby and making their way down the stairs of the Lakeview.

"Nothing," Carly said shrugging her shoulders. "I just want to get home to my kids, that's all."

"Oh, come on Carly," Neal said, obviously not buying her excuse. "You left to go call your kids _with_ Jack, and then you returned _without _him all flustered."

Carly sighed.

"We just had a bit of a disagreement," she divulged. "But can we please not talk about it?" she urged him gently.

"Okay," Neal relented easily.

Inside, Jack finally reemerged and caught up with Molly and Holden. Molly, though on her cell phone with one of the camera guys, kept her eyes glued on Jack.

"What the hell happened?" Holden asked.

"What do you mean?" Jack questioned in return.

"Well, Carly looked a bit frazzled when she came back. She seemed determined to get out of here as soon as possible."

Jack glanced over at Molly, whose scrutinizing eyes showed no signs of moving; however, he knew that she was unable to listen in on him and Holden given her conversation with the person at the other end of the phone call.

"We kissed," Jack informed his cousin as he rounded about and stood next to him, not putting it past Molly's list of skill sets to read lips.

"Again?" Holden asked in astonishment. "Good Lord, you kids have no self-control."

"Yeah, well. She's once again declared that it won't be happening again."

"Do you agree with her?"

"Honestly? No," Jack admitted. "She wanted it to happen as much as I did; only, she won't allow herself to admit it. Either way, I'm not giving up. But for now, I have to take care of business. First things first, I have to talk to Janet—the sooner, the better…and secondly, I have to find a way to get my job back."

The car ride back to Milltown from the Lakeview was much different from the car ride there. Neal could see that Carly was clearly preoccupied by whatever had transpired between her and Jack, but didn't attempt to breach the silence that had existed between them throughout their journey.

Once they reached Milltown, Neal parked by the curb outside her house.

"Neal, I'm so sorry that I wasn't better company," she apologized as she unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Carly, you need to stop apologizing. I had a good time," Neal assured her. He paused. "Do you think you'd be up for doing this again sometime?" he asked. "As friends, of course," he added.

Carly chuckled.

"Sure," she said with a smile. "Just let me know when."

"You can count on that."

Carly leaned over and gave Neal a peck on the cheek.

"Goodnight Neal," she said. "Thanks again for everything; the ride, dinner, dancing…being a good sport."

Neal smiled.

"Goodnight Carly," he said, as she opened the car door and climbed out.

Neal watched Carly make her way through the porch towards the front door. He waved to her once she had reached there and then slowly pulled away from the curb.

Carly reached into her clutch for her house keys. She looked through the translucent glass and noticed the completely dark living room, realizing that Parker and Sage were already upstairs in their bedrooms. She let herself in the door, closing it behind her and bolting all the locks. Carly leaned against the door and exhaled a drawn out sigh; releasing a whole range of emotions.

It was definitely going to be another one of those long, sleepless nights. First things first, she kicked off those damn shoes.


	9. An Auspicious Business Proposition

_**Author's Note-** This chapter is all about Carly making some plans for her future. So, unfortunately, while Jack isn't physically present in it; take heart. The next couple of chapters will deal with some big decisions and developments that will take place in his life. _

**CHAPTER NINE: AN AUSPICIOUS BUSINESS PROPOSITION **

Carly raised her head from her pillow and muttered a string of curse words as she looked over at the ringing cell phone on the nightstand by her bedside. She then glanced at the alarm clock behind it, which read '8:22.' Given that her alarm was usually set to go off at seven-thirty every morning—today being the exception—she knew that she reasonably couldn't be angry at the caller. However, considering that it had taken her nearly four hours and some odd minutes to finally fall asleep the previous night, she couldn't help the slight irritation that crept into her nerves at being awakened from her slumber; moreso annoyed at the situation than at the caller itself. She reached over and picked up the still ringing device and glanced at the display screen to see who was calling. It was Lily, which she found rather surprising.

"Hello?"

"Carly, hi, it's Lily."

"Hi Lily," Carly greeted back, unable to stifle the yawn that followed.

There was a short pause at the other end of the line.

"Oh no, did I wake you?" Lily asked, concern apparent in her voice.

"Don't worry about it. I should be up by now anyway," Carly said groggily, sitting up on her bed in her matching black silk pajama set. "What's up?"

"I really need to talk to you A.S.A.P.—preferably this morning," Lily said, "are you free in a little bit?"

"Um, yeah, I have a few hours before I need to be anywhere," Carly said, remembering that she and Sage were scheduled to have lunch at Molly's new apartment at noon.

"Are the kids going to be home?" Lily asked appropriately since it was a Saturday.

"Well, I'm not sure what Parker's plans are for the day, but Sage will be here," Carly said. "Why?"

"Well, I have Natalie and Ethan with me, and I thought that the kids could hang out while you and I have our chat," Lily said.

"Yeah. I'm sure Sage would love that," Carly replied, her curiosity piqued by this mysterious 'chat' that Lily wanted to have with her without delay.

"Great. I'm guessing you haven't had breakfast yet?" Lily asked.

"Nope," Carly said, running her fingers through her slightly matted bed hair.

"What about Sage?"

"She normally wakes up around eight-thirty or so; we usually have breakfast around nine over the weekend."

"Perfect," Lily said. "I'm at Java Café right now. How about I bring over some hot chocolate for the kids, coffee for you and me, and some fresh breakfast for all of us?" Lily asked. "I'll bring extra just in case Parker sticks around."

"Mmm. Sounds good," Carly said. "How soon will you guys be here?"

"Our order should be ready within five minutes. Does about twenty minutes from now sound okay?"

"Yeah, that works. I just need to hop into the shower really quick and I'll be all set."

"Okay, so we'll see you all in a little bit," Lily said. "Bye."

"Bye," Carly replied and ended the call.

Carly sat there on her bed in the silence of her bedroom and wondered again what Lily needed to talk to her about so promptly. For a moment, she worried that it might be about Holden and Molly's budding romance. If that was the case, then she knew that she'd have to deny Lily that chat; she had no intention of betraying Molly by indulging her boyfriend's ex-wife in a conversation about their growing relationship. She couldn't lend Lily a crying shoulder, or a listening ear, or any advice on how to win Holden back from her cousin; she loved Molly too much to do it. However, there had been no indication of any angst or sadness in Lily's voice when they'd spoken just now. In fact, she'd sensed an underlying excitement in her voice throughout their phone conversation. Could it be that she was cheerful because she'd found out that Molly and Holden had just broken up—or, to make matters worse—had she and Holden reunited since then? Of course those were both pretty outrageous scenarios given that she'd spent several hours with a rather happy Holden and Molly just the previous night. No. Neither of those seemed like plausible reasons for Lily's upcoming visit. Carly instantly reprimanded herself for thinking badly of Lily without having any of the facts and not giving her the benefit of the doubt; not to mention her dabbling in unfounded paranoia. She'd just have to wait a little while longer to find out what this was all about. She tossed her comforter aside, climbed out of bed, and headed into the bathroom.

Carly reemerged into her bedroom about fifteen minutes later, freshly showered and clad in a powder blue fleece bathrobe; her long blonde hair newly blow-dried and smoothly straightened. She strolled over to her dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans. Then she walked over to her closet and selected a solid black, scoop-necked, three-fourth sleeved peasant top. Two strings hung on either side of the open neckline, meant to be tied together to secure the top more snugly below the neck. A light silver pattern was embroidered on the front and splayed all the way over the chest and tapered off in the shape of an invisible, inverted triangle at naval level. It was an old top, but it had always ranked among her all-time favorites. Once she had changed, she stood in front of the mirror above the dresser and applied a thin layer of makeup. She started out with some foundation, then brushed on a light amount of mascara, and finished with a touch of a subtle shade of lip-gloss. Then she grabbed her cell phone off the nightstand and headed out the door.

Sage was sitting in front of the television set in the living room and watching her usual lineup of Saturday morning shows.

"Hi Sweetie," Carly said as she walked over to the couch and set her cell phone down on the coffee table.

Sage looked up at her and smiled briefly before turning her attention back to the T.V. screen.

"Listen; Lily, Natalie, and Ethan are stopping by in a little while. Do you think that you could take Natalie and Ethan upstairs and watch your iCarly episodes in J.J's room once they get here so that Lily and I can talk?"

"When are they coming?" Sage asked brightly, looking back up at Carly.

"They should be here in a few minutes."

Just then Parker trudged his way into the living room on his crutches from the kitchen holding a tall glass of milk.

"Hey Mom, do you think we can have pancakes for breakfast?" he asked.

"Actually, Lily and the kids are on their way here right now and Lily's bringing over breakfast for everyone," Carly said.

"Sweet," Parker replied as he settled into a chair at the dining table and opened up a magazine.

"Oh, I hope there are chocolate-chocolate chip muffins!" Sage piped in.

"Knowing Lily, I'm sure that there'll be a nice assortment of everything," Carly assured her, well aware that Lily was never one to skimp on things; especially when it came to things like food.

Carly rounded the couch and strolled over to the dining table.

"So, what do you have planned for today?" she asked her son.

Parker lifted his nose out of the magazine and looked up at his mother.

"Ty is picking me up. We were going to catch a movie with Devon and James and then head over to his place and play some video games."

Carly paused and looked at Parker for a few seconds.

"Did you and Liberty smooth things over?" she asked cautiously.

Parker grimaced.

"No. But I _really_ don't want to talk about it." He looked at Carly imploringly. "Please?" he asked beseechingly.

"Alright," Carly said with a sigh.

At that instant the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Sage called as she jumped up from the couch and trotted over to answer the door.

Lily, Natalie, and Ethan walked in with full hands. Lily was carrying a large, brown paper bag imprinted with the Java Café logo in one hand, and a disposable cardboard drink holding case containing four beverage cups in the other; Natalie was carrying a similar drink holding case containing three larger beverage cups; and little Ethan was holding a handheld video game console.

Everyone exchanged a quick round of 'Hi's across the room.

"Okay, without further ado," Lily announced, holding up the brown bag. "Who's hungry?"

"Meee!" the three younger kids shouted in unison, making Lily and Carly chuckle.

Lily walked over to the dining table and set down all the breakfast items she was carrying and Natalie followed her mother's lead and did the same as everyone gathered around.

"Girls, can you run into the kitchen and bring us a few plates, please?" Carly requested.

The girls nodded and rushed off to do so.

Lily reached into the brown paper bag and pulled out two large, white cardboard boxes also inked with the Java Café logo on the lids and placed them next to each other on the table. She then began to remove all the cups from the cardboard cases one by one and set them down in a cluster next to the two white boxes. Just then the girls returned from the kitchen; each carrying three plates and stacked both sets one on top of the other.

"Okay," Lily said, opening the first box which contained one dozen muffins; three of each kind. "So we have apple bran, blueberry, chocolate chip, and chocolate-chocolate chip just for Sage." She looked over at Sage and smiled.

Sage smiled back at her sheepishly.

Lily then opened the second box which contained a variety of doughnuts; also one dozen with three of each kind.

"Here we have chocolate, glazed, strawberry-filled, and chocolate with sprinkles," she said.

She then pointed over to the cups.

"Larger cups are coffee for the adults; smaller cups are hot chocolate for the kids." She looked over at Parker. "Parker, I didn't know what your preference was so I got you one of each."

"Thanks Lily," Parker said, gulping down the last of his milk.

Carly had always admired Lily's ability to take charge of a situation and command her presence. Independent from that, she also knew that the tall glass of milk that her son had just finished wouldn't deter him from also going for one—if not both—of the drink choices that Lily had provided for him.

"Okay guys, dig in!" Lily urged, looking over at the kids, who immediately started reaching into both boxes simultaneously and piled on a combination of muffins and doughnuts onto their plates.

"Kids, can you guys watch T.V. upstairs in J.J.'s room, please?" Carly asked them.

"Okay," Natalie said as she grabbed a cup of hot chocolate from the table and waited for Sage and Ethan to do the same.

With that, the kids bounded up the stairs leaving only Carly, Lily and Parker at the dining table.

"Lily, you brought enough to feed a small army," Carly observed.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure everyone had a variety to choose from," Lily said with a smile and a quick shrug of the shoulders.

"Oh trust me, you pass," Carly assured her as she grabbed two plates and handed one to Lily. "You _especially_ can never go wrong with blueberry muffins," she said as she reached in and placed one on her plate.

She quickly noticed that most of the items containing chocolate from both boxes had already been emptied by the children. Carly then reached into the box of doughnuts and decided on a glazed one. In the meantime, Lily had gone with an apple bran muffin and one of the strawberry filled doughnuts. They each grabbed a cup of coffee.

"Come on," Carly said, leading Lily towards the living room and they both settled on opposite ends of the couch.

In the background, Carly heard the rustling of wax paper as Parker dug into one of the boxes and served himself.

"So, did you enjoy the rest of your night?" Lily asked Carly, referring to the benefit.

Carly paused for a few seconds, some of the vivid moments overtaking her memory; particularly a certain kiss in the garden. She quickly glanced over at Parker, whose nose was once again buried in his magazine as he took a bite of his chocolate sprinkled doughnut.

"It was wonderful," she said with a wistful smile, not sure if she was referring to the entire night or just a recurring snippet of it.

The smile didn't go unnoticed by Lily.

"Really? What made it so 'wonderful'?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, you know…the ambiance, the music, the thrill of all those people," Carly improvised, her face slightly flushing a faint shade of rosy red.

Lily looked at her observantly and noticed the color that had just tinted her cheeks but didn't press the subject. She wondered how much Parker's presence within earshot had to do with Carly's responses.

"So, when are you guys going to pick up Faith?" Carly asked, quickly changing gears.

In the background, Parker's head shot up from his magazine.

"Holden and I decided to go up two Saturdays from now," Lily informed her.

"Faith's coming home?" Parker questioned almost immediately following Lily's response.

Lily looked back at him and nodded.

"She's feeling a bit homesick," she explained. "So, her and father and I decided that it was best for her to come back home."

"For good?" Parker asked.

"Yep," Lily said.

"Is she going to go to Oakdale High again?"

"So far, that's the plan," Lily said with a smile, which Parker returned.

Carly had quietly watched the exchange and her head darted back and forth between the two people; straight ahead at Lily and sideways at Parker, intermittently.

"How was the rest of your night?" Carly asked Lily; her expression indicating that Lily's response needed to be a bit disguised.

Lily picked up on the insinuation.

"Good," she said with a nod. "Trouble-free," she added furtively.

They both chuckled; each of them inwardly aware that the question and answer were in reference to Lucinda.

Just then Parker's cell phone chimed and he pulled it out of his jeans pocket to check the text message.

"Ty's here," he told his mother.

Carly immediately got up from her spot on the couch and walked over to her son.

"Here, let me help you," she said as she picked up the crutches that were leaning against the chair next to him.

Lily looked on in surprise.

"Oh my god, Parker. What happened to your leg?" she asked; not having noticed Parker's crutches until now.

Parker gave Lily a quick rundown of how he had injured his leg while he and Liberty had gone off into the woods while they were in Detroit.

"Okay, I'm outta here," he said once he and Carly were almost at the door. "Thanks for breakfast, Lily," he finished, momentarily turning around and looking back at the couch.

"You're welcome, Parker," Lily replied with a smile.

"Be careful," Carly said to her son.

Parker rolled his eyes at his mother's overprotectiveness before turning to head out and Carly watched as he walked straight ahead and out the door. Once he had disappeared from sight, Carly shut the door and walked back over to Lily.

"Since when has Sage been interested in pageants?" Lily asked Carly.

"She wasn't and she isn't," Carly said with a gleam in her eye.

Lily looked completely confused.

"So, then, why were you guys in Detroit?"

Carly sighed.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you about it in a little while. But, in the meantime, your phone call has officially had me intrigued!" she exclaimed.

Lily grinned.

"Good, because I'm going to need your undivided attention," she said.

Carly looked at her and creased her eyebrows inquiringly as she took another bite of her muffin.

"Well, I was thinking a lot about our conversation last night," Lily began, "and I thought of something." She paused and smiled. "I have a question for you," she said slowly and paused again, the smile still pasted on her face. "What would you say if I told you that I've found you a financial backer to jumpstart your own design company with an equal partnership and little to no creative reign?" she asked.

"I'd ask you to lean over and pinch me so that I know for sure that I'm not dreaming and then I'd hug you," Carly proclaimed, instantly enlivened.

Lily laughed.

"It's no dream," she said assuredly.

"But why would anyone be willing to back me up without even seeing any of my designs?" Carly asked in confusion. "I mean, I haven't designed in years."

"Because she's already seen them before and she knows what you're capable of," Lily said.

Carly keyed in on one specific word.

"'She?'"

Lily nodded enthusiastically as she finished chewing on a piece of her doughnut.

"Who is she?" Carly asked, bubbling with curiosity.

"Mmm," Lily started, as she held a hand to her chest and swallowed before continuing. "You're looking at her!" she announced with a grin.

Carly's eyes widened in response as she sharply swallowed another bite of her muffin.

"_You? Seriously_?" she asked sharply, blinking in surprise.

"Uh huh," Lily confirmed. "Listen. Ever since all that nonsense happened with Damian, I've been going crazy sitting around the house with nothing to do. Once the kids leave for school, I have nothing but free time. And I already told you that I have absolutely _no_ intention of going back to Worldwide. I need to do something—something worthwhile—something that I can invest in both financially and emotionally and be proud of; and I know that you and I can make that happen if we put our heads together. I can really see us being a success."

"Lily, I don't know what to say…" Carly said, still in a state of astonishment.

"Well, you can say that you'll consider it," Lily suggested.

"Oh trust me, I am," Carly assured her. "But are you sure about this?"

"Completely," Lily replied confidently.

"You think you have enough to back the whole thing, Lily?" Carly asked uncertainly as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Well, no, but I worked it all out...for the most part," Lily started to explain. "I have _some _money saved up that we can use towards our budget. Now, it definitely won't be enough for us to stay financially independent, so we'll definitely need to take out a loan for the rest. There's a chance that if this loan doesn't cover all our initial expenses that we'll have to withdraw a second one—which I know is a little risky—but I _really_ have faith is us. I can already envision this place teeming with customers. I really do think that once we get this place running, there'll be more than enough to settle every penny we borrow from our loan…or loans."

Carly bit her lower lip as she carefully pondered Lily's financial plan. She really appreciated the amount of confidence that Lily had in her abilities as a designer and in their potential to succeed. Still, she had a few more concerns.

"Well, wouldn't we also need to hire a contractor to actually construct the store and an architect to lay out all the floor plans? Now, I'm not completely business savvy, but I know for a fact that neither one of those people will come cheap. Not to mention the additional costs of all the construction materials and all the supplies we'll need for the store: the shelves, the clothes racks, the hangers, the cash registers, the mannequins, the fabrics…oh God, we'd need _tons_ of fabric!" Carly listed rapidly, making her breathless.

"Whoa! Carly, slow down," Lily said chuckling and setting her coffee cup down on the coffee table. "I was actually thinking that we could go with an existing building, which would work out a lot cheaper. Then it would only be a matter of renovating the place to our liking. That way we'll omit having to shell out a fortune for all the construction materials like we would if we were building from scratch. Now, we'll still need a contractor to build the dressing rooms and put up the shelves—oh, and if necessary, the restrooms; which would mean that we'd also need to hire a plumber. Of course we'll need to do a walk-through of the place and make sure we inspect it thoroughly first." Lily drew in a deep breath and narrowed her eyes on Carly. "Okay, so now that I've delivered my sales pitch, will you at least take a few days and think about it?" she requested hopefully.

Carly immediately held her hand to her mouth to prevent the sip of coffee that she'd just taken from spewing out awkwardly and desperately tried to stifle the accompanied series of snickers that threatening to make matters worse by splattering the liquid to a greater distance.

"Lily, are you kidding? I've already decided!" she said once she'd successfully cleared her mouth, even as the snickering lingered. Though she paused for dramatic effect, the huge grin on her face was already a dead giveaway of her decision. "The answer is a big, fat, resounding YES!" she said, beaming excitedly.

Lily's eyes instantly lit up.

"Really?" she asked, needing another confirmation.

Carly nodded enthusiastically.

"Just tell me where to sign!" she said, shrugging her shoulders happily.

Lily squealed as she leapt to her feet and scuttled over to lean down and hug Carly. Both women laughed with excitement at the new partnership they'd just formed as they embraced. After a few seconds Lily pulled away and plopped back down on her side of the couch.

"By the way, I was 99.075 percent sure that you'd say 'yes.'"

Carly chuckled.

"So, do you already have a place in mind?" she wondered.

"If everything works out, then yes," Lily said, nodding. "I was walking through Old Town this morning and I think I might've found the perfect one. Are you familiar with Otto's Music Shop?"

A light bulb went on inside Carly's head as she connected the dots.

"Oh yeah, I passed by it just a couple of days ago and noticed that he'd gone out of business. It's a shame too, because the kids used to buy their C.D.s there. Well, until they each got an iPod."

"Yeah, ditto," Lily said.

"You know, Lily, that's actually a prime location for a clothing store," Carly said reflectively.

"I know. That's why it would work out perfectly if we can get it," Lily said. She clapped her hands together, driven by momentum. "Okay, what do you say we get to brainstorming then?" she said excitedly.

"Absolutely," Carly concurred. "Let me just grab a notepad and a pen," she said, getting up to rummage through the desk by the door. "Ah!" she exclaimed, holding up a notepad. She grabbed a pen that was sitting atop the desk and settled back into her seat.

"How about we give this the old college try and go with the five 'W's and one 'H' approach?" Lily suggested.

"Good idea," Carly agreed. "So the 'who'...I'm guessing that you were thinking of targeting an all female market, right?"

"Yep. I figured that that's who you'd want to go with that," Lily said.

"Yeah, that's where I have the most experience, so it's pretty much a given," Carly stated.

"Okay, our target age range?" Lily asked.

"Mmm…I'd say roughly within the twenty-five to forty demographic," Carly mused.

"Perfect."

Carly began scribbling down the details onto the notepad.

"Okay, now the 'what'…" Lily said, moving on.

"A cute little boutique in Old Town," Carly said happily.

"Oh my gosh, it's going to be so awesome!" Lily gushed in response.

"I know!" Carly added. "I'm so excited about this!"

Both women grinned at their prospects.

"Now, the other part of the 'what'," Lily continued. "We need to decide on the style of clothes we'll be marketing. You're the designer, so it's up to you."

"Um…okay…" Carly said thoughtfully, weighing in all her options. "Casual. Formal. Business. And Business-Casual. What do you think?"

"Works for me," Lily said. "Now let's break each one of them down into specific articles of clothing."

Carly considered all four categories; the options somewhat overwhelming her.

"Okay, let me jot these down first and then I'll read 'em out to you," she said.

Lily waited silently as Carly compiled a list. About a minute later Carly lifted her head from the notepad and looked at Lily.

"Okay, here we go," she said. "Casual: tops, blouses, coats, and skirts. Most women wear tops and blouses over denim, cropped pants, capris, or slacks. Now, cropped pants, capris and slacks are doable, but I don't think that we should start out marketing denim—at least not right away. Having your own brand of jeans is a whole 'nother ball game, and we can always expand later on, but for now, I think we should just stick to these."

"Fine by me," Lily agreed.

"Formal. Easy one: dresses."

Lily nodded.

"Business: Dress shirts, blazers, pant suits, dress suits, skirts, and slacks" Carly continued. "And Business-Casual is about the same, but with a hint of urban flare. What do you think?"

"Sounds good," Lily said. She paused. "What about unmentionables?" she asked with a teasing grin.

Carly laughed.

"Well, as with the denim, we can always expand later on," she said.

"True. How would you feel about designing accessories? You know: scarves, gloves, socks, hats, and those sorts of things?"

"I'm up for it," Carly said. "But do you really think we should market those this year? I mean, it's already the end of January, and come spring, not many people will be using them. Of course we don't even know when we'll get our business going."

"Good point. I guess we don't have to worry about those until the fall, by which time our business _definitely _will be booming!" Lily said. "I guess that covers the 'what.'"

"The 'where…'" Carly continued. "The store formerly known as Otto's Music shop; hopefully," she said, putting down the pen and crossing her fingers on both hands.

"Hopefully," Lily concurred.

"How are you going to contact whoever owns the place?" Carly asked suddenly. "I mean, I'm pretty sure that Otto was leasing it from someone—most likely from a commercial real estate company."

"Oh, easy. When I walked by there this morning, there was a 'for lease' sign with a contact number to the realtor posted against the window. I saved it onto my phone. I wanted to talk to you first and see if you were onboard with this before I did anything else."

"Hmm…that sign wasn't there when I walked by the place a couple of days ago," Carly noted.

"Well, that just betters our chances," Lily said. "I'm guessing that the place was just cleared to be put up for lease a day or two ago. So, the sooner we jump on this, the more likely we are to acquire it." Lily paused. "Okay, I guess that partially covers the 'when.'"

"Yeah, I'm marking it down as 'A.S.A.P.'" Carly announced, immediately carving out the words in big bold letters and circling and underlining them for added emphasis.

Lily watched Carly as she continued to etch into the notepad; her face growing serious.

"Okay, now I need to talk to you about the other part related to the 'when,' she said. "I have request. A pretty big one, actually."

The gravity of Lily's tone immediately drew Carly's attention away from the piece of paper and onto Lily's face.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Look, we're obviously still in the beginning stages of our plans—basically in pre-production—I mean, we still have a lot of work to do before we can get our business going; and I _really_ want us to succeed, which means we're going to have to be really careful about how we handle this. You know that my mother has endlessly been hovering around and hounding me to rejoin Worldwide, and if she finds out that I've gone into business with someone else, she's not going to take it very well..._at all_. Hell, I wouldn't even put it past her if she tried to sabotage us in reaction, hoping that it'll drive me back into business with her; and making you collateral damage in the process." Lily paused. "So, I was wondering if we could keep this whole thing a secret and not tell anyone until we've at least started construction."

Carly looked at her in puzzlement.

"We can at least tell people close to us, right?" she asked.

"No, Carly, we can't tell anyone," Lily said shaking her head. "Not our friends, not our relatives, not our exes…and certainly not the kids. This has to stay between you and me."

"But Lily, how are we going to go about this without telling the kids? I mean, they're around us most of the time."

"The kids are too young to keep secrets, Carly. It's better not to get them involved in the middle of all this—not until we're ready to go public with the company. It's especially touchy for my kids because there's a good chance that they might inadvertently tell 'grandma' that mommy has a new business going with someone else. The best way to avoid a situation like that is to keep them removed from all this. So, for now, they'll have to think that you and I are just hanging out together and that's it."

"Yeah, I guess that would be better," Carly agreed. "It's just that this is going to be very difficult. I mean, not just keeping it from the kids, but keeping it from everyone we know."

"I know…but it's only for a little while," Lily assured her. "Plus, don't you have Craig breathing down your neck about going back into business with him? I really wouldn't put it past him to do something underhanded to see that our plans flop if he finds out about our partnership just to better his chances of getting you back either. I know that a lot of our family and friends are trustworthy, but we can't afford to take that chance of having to pick and choose between whom we tell and who we don't. That'll just make things a lot more complicated. After all, this _is_ Oakdale. Things have a way of getting out as it is; and people like my mother and Craig have their sources. By keeping this between us, we'll be eliminating the risk of two potentially HUGE, unnecessary interlopers causing any catastrophes for us; one named Lucinda Walsh, and the other named Craig Montgomery."

Carly realized that there was a lot of validity behind Lily's concerns. However, as much as she knew that they'd be avoiding any troublemaking from the likes of two devious business masterminds like Lucinda and Craig by staying silent about their business plans; she also couldn't help worrying about the adverse consequences that it could cause amongst the people that both she and Lily cared about. Still, for right now, she felt as though it was their best option.

"I won't breathe a word to anyone," Carly promised.

"Thank you," Lily said, exhaling a sigh of relief. She paused in thought. "Actually, there is one person I was hoping you'd let in on our plans," she added.

Carly looked at her inquisitively.

"Who?" She asked.

"Neal Stokes."

"_Neal?_" Carly repeated, utterly confused.

Lily nodded.

"We need a contractor, right?" she reminded. "Who better than someone we already know; someone we can trust?"

"Lily, that's genius!" Carly exclaimed.

"We _can_ trust Neal, right?" Lily asked.

"Yeah. Absolutely," Carly said, having confided in Neal in the past and having experienced first-hand his ability to respect confidentiality.

"Since you know him better than I do, do you think that you could call him and ask him if he'd be interested?" Lily requested. "We can have him meet us for lunch over the week and fill him on all the details."

"Yeah, I can do that," Carly agreed. "When do you want to have lunch?"

"The sooner, the better," Lily said. "So, the earliest he's available would be ideal."

"But, we don't even have the loan approved yet," Carly said suddenly.

"Carly, _trust me_, we'll get that loan—_two_, if we need to," Lily assured her.

"Okay, let me call him," Carly relented as she picked up her cell phone.

Neal answered his phone on the second ring.

"Hello Carly, what a nice surprise," he said with a smile.

"Hi Neal," she said. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Not at all. I've been up for hours just watching some television so that I don't go terribly bored out of my mind. I thought about calling you, but then I didn't want to keep imposing," he admitted.

Carly laughed.

"You wouldn't have been imposing, although I did get preoccupied fairly quickly," she said. "Actually, Neal, Lily and I were wondering if we could discuss something with you—well, it's more of a proposition, really. I was going to see if you could join us for lunch sometime over the week, but if you're not doing anything right now, do you think that you could come over soon?" she requested. "If it's not too much trouble that is," she added quickly.

As she asked Neal the question, Carly looked at Lily, who watched in anticipation as they both waited for Neal's response.

"Of course, count me in," Neal said.

Carly gave Lily a successful thumbs-up, making her grin.

"When would you like me to stop by?" he asked.

"As soon as possible," Carly said, unable to break the enthusiasm welling up inside her as she and Lily seemed to be making more progress towards achieving their goal.

"Alright. I'm leaving in five minutes," Neal said. "See you then?"

"Yep. Thanks so much Neal. Bye."

Carly closed her phone and smiled brightly at Lily.

"He's on his way right now," she informed her.

"Okay, well, while we're waiting for him, there are a couple more things for us to discuss," Lily said. "We both obviously want to get this thing going A.S.A.P., right?"

"Right."

"Which means that while I sort out the legal and financial ends of things, do you think that you could get started on some preliminary sketches?"

"Sure," Carly said. "I'm so fired about this; I can hardly wait! I'll get started on it right away."

"That's the spirit!" Lily said in encouragement. "Meanwhile, I'll also start doing some research to find us some of the best textile manufacturers. That way we can get the ball rolling on things right away."

"Okay, can we go over everything on the agenda for the next few days…just as a refresher?" Carly asked.

"Sure," Lily said as she prepared to explain the process. "First, we'll talk to Neal and see if he'd be willing to work with us. We're doing things a little out of order because realistically our first step should be to get the loan approved and then lease the store, but since Neal is free now, and since he's already an acquaintance, I don't see a problem with talking to him first and letting him in on things. Anyway, he's trustworthy, right? I'll also call my lawyer in a little while and have him draw up all the legal documents for our partnership. We're going to need to present those when we apply for the loan, so we'll need those right away. Once we're granted the loan, we can contact the real estate company and put in our bid to lease the place. Then we can officially hire the contractor—in this case, Neal…if he agrees—and then go from there. Who knows? If business starts booming, maybe we can eventually even buy the place."

"Ohhh, that would be amazing," Carly said.

"Wait a minute, we've talked about so many things but we still don't even have a name for our boutique!" Lily exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, good point," Carly agreed. "Any suggestions?"

"Hmm…" Lily looked down at her coffee cup thoughtfully. "How about Carly Tenney Creations?"

Carly frowned.

"What about your name? Aren't we going to include it?" she asked.

"Me?" Lily said. "You're the designer. The name has to be synonymous with you."

"But Lily…" Carly started to protest before she was cut off.

"Come on Carly, we're trying to create a brand. Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Donna Karen, Liz Claiborne. We want Carly Tenney to be right up there too."

Carly laughed at the lofty notion.

"Unless…" Lily began surreptitiously, "you want to drop the 'Tenney' and just go with Carly's Creations," she said, a smirk forming on her mouth. "You know, in case that last name changes sometime in the future."

Carly blushed at the insinuation.

"Oh for Heaven's sakes, Lily!" she scolded playfully.

"Hey, are you telling me it isn't a possibility?" Lily asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I've sworn off romance," Carly said very matter-of-factly.

"Forever?" Lily continued to tease.

Carly shook her head at Lily's comments, still a little flushed.

"Okay, so can we get back to the name of our boutique, please?" she asked, desperately wanting to redirect Lily's attention away from the topic they were currently on.

Lily good-naturedly laughed at Carly's attempt to dodge the subject and obliged.

"Here, why don't you give me a piece of paper from that notepad and we'll both jot down ideas," she said. "Then we'll read them out loud and pick the one we both like best. What do you say?"

Carly agreed and tore out a piece of paper and handed it to Lily along with a pen from the coffee table and one of Sage's books to use as a make-shift notepad. An invisible cloud of creativity began swirling around the couch and permeated the surrounding air as pen hit paper.

Lily finally looked up from the list that she had compiled; sensing movement in front of her, Carly lifted her head.

"Ready?" Lily asked.

"I think so," Carly said. "You go first."

"Okay. If it'll make you feel better that I'm included too, how about 'CTLW'?" Lily asked.

Carly scrunched her nose.

"Then we'd sound like a wannabe redux of DKNY," she said.

"Oh yeah. True," Lily agreed. "What've you got?"

"How about 'Secrets'?" Carly suggested. "You know, since we're having to keep one, it'll kind of go with the theme."

They both smiled.

"Meh, but there's already a Victoria's Secret," Lily replied. "We want something more unique. Besides, it's mono-syllabic like 'Fashions', who will be our competitors."

Carly tried to shrug off the fact that Lisa would soon be her main bona fide rival.

The women continued to alternate between their lists and read off potential names; however, there seemed to be some sort of a deficiency in all of them. Ten minutes later, when they had exhausted every single one of them, they looked at each somewhat defeated.

"Good Lord, this seems like a bigger challenge than getting the loan and acquiring the lease," Carly said exhaustedly.

"You said it," Lily agreed, drained from their efforts and needing a mental break. "By the way, that's a gorgeous top," she said.

"Oh, thanks. It's actually a pretty old one. I designed it while I was still at Monte Carlo a long time ago. It's one of my favorites, so it's been hanging in my closet for nearly seven years now."

Lily's eyes widened as an idea occurred to her.

"Carly, that it!" She said. "How about 'Carly's Closet?'"

"'Carly's Closet?'"

"Uh-huh." Lily nodded. "It needs to have _your_ seal on it. It's chic, it's simple, and I think it really works. Besides, it doesn't include your last name, so you don't have to worry about what will happen if any changes should occur there," she added, the mischievous grin returning to her face.

Carly shot Lily the same fake glare from earlier; a pale red once again staining her cheeks.

"'Carly's Closet,'" she read aloud. "To be honest, I _love_ it!" she said with a huge smile.

"Well, then it's decided," Lily said.

Immediately the doorbell rang and both women looked up to see Neal standing on the other side of the glass door. Carly got up to answer it.

"Hi Neal. Come on in," she invited as she held the door open for him.

"Thank you," he said.

"Hi Neal," Lily said, standing up from the couch and extending her left hand. "Long time, no see."

"Hello Lily," he replied, returning her handshake. "I saw you at the benefit last night, but you were busy talking—well, actually having a rather serious discussion with your mother—so I didn't want to intrude."

Lily looked a bit embarrassed, which Neal picked up on.

"You look wonderful as always," he added, trying to create a diversion that seemed to work.

Lily thanked him for the compliment. Carly motioned for Neal to sit down in the chair adjacent to the couch, closest to the foyer, as she settled back in her spot.

"Well ladies, I must say that you have my curiosity piqued with this 'proposition' you'd like to discuss," Neal stated immediately.

Carly and Lily looked at each other and smiled.

"I think you should explain it to him," Carly stated.

"Okay," Lily nodded and began to give Neal an account of their plans.

Once Lily had explained all the details to Neal, Carly and Lily leaned forward, anxiously awaiting his answer.

"So, Neal, would you be interested?" Lily asked eagerly.

Neal paused thoughtfully for a brief moment.

"How can I say 'no' to two beautiful, sophisticated women?" he asked rhetorically with a smile.

"Does that mean you're in?" Carly asked expectantly, finding the confirmation absolutely necessary.

"All the way," Neal added. "And I promise, your secret is safe with me."

Both Carly and Lily cheered at Neal's acceptance of their business offer. Whether it was the joy of their newly forged unofficial business relationship, or just some other strange, inexplicable coincidence, it wasn't clear; but from that moment on, the enthusiasm level in the room went up a few notches. The three of them happily began running ideas for the boutique amongst each other; and with every new thought came an added boost of ambition. The conversation, though continuous, veered off-track every once in a while, but the excitement factor showed no intention of quelling. The saying 'time really flies when you're having fun,' proved itself truthful. That is, until you realize that there's someplace else you needed to be and someone else you should've been with right at that moment…

Carly's cell phone started to ring on the coffee table just as Neal delivered the punch line of his Squirrel joke; making Carly and Lily roar with laughter.

"Okay, hold that thought," she said as she reached over to answer it, still affected by an after wave of giggles. She looked down at the screen to see who the caller was; the name appearing showed 'Molly.' Carly quickly glanced back at the clock sitting above the mantelpiece; it read '12:37.' A pang of guilt hit her as realization sunk in.

"Oh no," she said softly.


	10. Some Unsolicited Advice

_**Author's Note**- I know that the show hasn't particularly focused on Jack and Holden's friendship in recent years as portrayed in this chapter, but since I'm writing this story the way I imagine the characters would interact with each other, I felt that it was justified _:)

**CHAPTER TEN: SOME UNSOLICITED ADVICE**

Jack yawned as he opened his eyes and groggily looked out the passenger's side window of the moving SUV. Next to him, Holden was singing along to the country song playing on the car stereo and lightly rapping his fingers against the steering wheel to the rhythm as they continued on the freeway.

"Hey there, sleepyhead," Holden greeted when he noticed Jack stirring awake from his sleep.

Jack groaned and sluggishly stretched his arms out over the dashboard. His vision started to come into focus and he noticed a large interstate route sign listing the estimated distances of three upcoming cities: Bloomington 16 mi, Naperville 23 mi, Oakdale 35 mi. Confusion spread across his face.

"Why the heck are we driving back to Oakdale?" he asked raspily. "Don't you have to take a look at that horse?"

Holden chuckled.

"Uh…we already _drove_ all the way to Chicago, I took a good look at the horse and negotiated payment for him, and now we're driving back home," he informed his still dazed cousin.

Jack sat up straight with a start.

"Wait…how…what?" he fumbled, scratching his head in utter bewilderment. "Is this the twilight zone or something? Because I don't remember a damn thing."

"Well, how would you?" Holden asked. "You've been out like a light pretty much since I picked you up this morning. I didn't want to wake you so I left you in the car while I went out into the barn to take a look at the horse. You were so knocked out that you didn't even hear me open or shut the car door or start the engine."

"Yeah, well, about that…tell me again why we had to wake up at seven-thirty in the morning just to drive to and from Chicago when we can easily make the round trip in less than half a day?"

"Listen buddy, _you_ insisted on coming along," Holden said pointedly, momentarily glancing over at his cousin before redirecting his eyes back onto the road, "so you don't get to complain."

"Touché," Jack admitted. "It's just that I barely got any sleep last night."

"Seems to be the story of your life lately," Holden said with a smirk. "So tell me, how many times have you replayed that kiss between you and Carly since last night?"

Jack shot his cousin a dry look while the latter chuckled after posing the question. It's not like he could've given him an answer anyway; how can you place a number on something that has basically been running on 'repeat' through your head nearly every waking moment for the past half a day? He looked at the built-in digital clock on the front console of the car. It read '12:29.'

Holden caught a sideways glimpse of Jack as he looked at the clock and realized that it was time for a rest stop.

"What do you say we grab some lunch?" he asked. "You haven't even had breakfast. There's this really great steak place in Bloomington. How about we stop there?"

The suggestion sounded great to Jack. As the drowsiness began to dissipate, he could feel twinges of hunger hit his stomach.

"Sounds good to me," he informed his cousin.

A nice hearty steak and a cold beer was just what he needed to rejuvenate his senses.

In Milltown, Carly guiltily stared at the number displaying on the small screen atop her still ringing cell phone. She slowly flipped it open after the third ring.

"Hello?" she answered hesitantly.

In the background, Lily and Neal were still chuckling at his joke.

"Hey Cuz," Molly said in her usual lively voice. "Where the heck are you?"

Carly paused for a few moments before responding.

"I'm so sorry, honey. I completely lost track of time," she apologized.

Now there was a pause at the other end of the line.

"Do you have company?" Molly asked, apparently having heard the sounds of Neal and Lily's muffled laughter.

"Uh…yeah," Carly answered slowly, not quite sure how to follow up her basic response.

"Anyone I know?" Molly inquired.

Carly felt stumped. Not only was she late for their lunch date because she'd lost track of time entertaining her guests, but one of those guests happened to be Lily; not exactly one of her cousin's favorite people. Carly had more than an inkling that Molly would be upset if she learned that Lily had been visiting with her, but what worried her more was how she'd react once her ongoing secret partnership with Lily was revealed once their business was ready to go public. One step at a time, she told herself. For now, it was a matter of deflecting the question at hand and making her way over to Molly's without rudely having to kick Neal and Lily out of her house.

"Listen Cuz, I'll be there as soon as I can, okay?" she said, hoping to deflect the question that was just asked.

Fortunately, for the time being, it had been sufficient to get a seemingly unsuspecting Molly off the phone. By now, Lily and Neal were watching her questioningly, having tuned into her conversation at some point after they'd recovered from their moments of levity.

"Were you supposed to be somewhere?" Lily asked.

Carly looked from Lily's face to Neal's before answering Lily.

"Um, yeah, I was supposed to meet Molly for lunch at her new apartment at noon," she said with an apologetic smile.

Carly saw a hint of uneasiness cross Lily's face at the mention of Molly's name, which didn't exactly surprise her. Neither woman was fond of the other given their respective relationships—past and present—with Holden. Still, Lily seemed to understand.

"Oh gosh, I'm so sorry Carly," she said, glancing at her wristwatch. "I've taken up enough of your time. I should get going anyway," she said, quickly standing up.

"I'll get out of your hair as well," Neal said following Lily's cue and standing from his seat.

Carly had done her fair share of throwing people out of her house when the occasion called for it, but this was one she felt guilty about—although technically, she hadn't needed to ask them to leave…but still. If she was being completely honest, she had actually been enjoying herself. Not only had she come across an amazing business venture that was right up her alley, but she'd also be working with two familiar faces she trusted. Aside from those facts, she also realized how much she'd missed Lily's friendship over the last year and a half. It had been fun to just sit there and laugh and share her ambitions with her once more like she used to do before their friendship had suffered a major blow. In any case, she couldn't help but be happy and relieved that things seemed to be getting back on the right track for them. She just hoped that her resurrected friendship with Lily wouldn't come at the cost of losing that of her cousin.

Natalie and Ethan came bounding down the stairs with their empty breakfast plates a few seconds after their mother had called up to them, followed by Sage; and the three of them greeted Neal, who remarked on how much taller the two younger kids had grown since the last time he'd seen them.

"Okay guys, it's time for us to head out," Lily told her children. "Why don't you guys take those dishes to the kitchen, please?"

The kids did as they were told. Once they were out of earshot, Lily turned her attention back to Carly.

"Listen Carly, as soon as I leave here, I'm going to drop the kids off at home with Luke and meet with my lawyer. He should be in his office for a little while longer, so I'll have him draw up all the official papers for our partnership right away. If all goes well, those should be ready to sign sometime this week. In the meantime, do you think you could work on those sketches? Just so we can get things going."

"Are you kidding? All I'm going to be doing this weekend is sketching!" Carly informed her soon-to-be business partner with a grin. "I'm SO excited about this!"

"Me too!" Lily grinned back.

Neal had been standing there watching the two enthusiastic women with a smile.

"Is there anything you'll need from me, ladies?" he asked.

Lily and Carly turned to look at him.

"Not until we've secured the lease," Lily informed him. "But, in the meantime, we could use the moral support and your vow of secrecy."

"My lips are sealed, I promise," Neal assured both of them.

Once the kids returned from the kitchen, Lily led them out the door, only stopping briefly to acknowledge Carly as she called out a quick 'thank you' for breakfast after her. Neal followed right behind them, leaving only Sage and Carly in the foyer. Carly turned to look at her daughter.

"Did you have fun with Ethan and Natalie?"

Sage nodded.

"What was Neal doing here?" she asked curiously.

"Well, Neal and Lily and I are friends, so we were just catching up," Carly answered, half-truthfully. "Are you ready to go see Aunt Molly's new apartment? She's expecting us for lunch, and we're already late."

"Yeah. Let me just grab my coat," Sage said as she ran up the stairs, while Carly grabbed her own from the coat rack and slipped it on. Apparently Sage hadn't realized that they were already running well over forty-five minutes late.

The blonde hostess led Holden and Jack through the crowded restaurant and motioned them towards an empty booth. She handed them a pair of menus and notified them that their server would be with them shortly. The restaurant, Lone Star Steakhouse, was a cozy place with a log cabin-like appearance and an abundant array of southwestern décor.

"I swear, Jack, this place has the best steaks around," Holden alerted his cousin.

"Well, it certainly smells great," Jack said as he inhaled the aroma of charbroiled meat and barbeque sauce that wafted through the air. "So, when are you planning to transport the horse to Oakdale?" he asked.

Holden began filling Jack in on the travel arrangements for the horse until the waitress came by and inadvertently interrupted him to take their orders. Soon after the girl left, Holden resumed where he had left off only to realize that Jack was no longer paying attention to him, and instead, focusing on gently rocking the tip of his fork up and down the table, as if it required all his concentration.

"Jack?" Holden said sharply as he leaned forward.

"Hmm?" Jack said, coming out of his stupor and looking up into Holden's observant expression.

"You're pathetic, you know that?" Holden said shaking his head.

"_What?_" Jack asked defensively, attempting to play dumb.

"Why don't you tell me?" Holden persisted.

"It's nothing," Jack said with a shrug. "What were you saying about the horse?"

"Forget the horse. Let's talk about you and your mental stability," Holden said teasingly.

Jack scoffed.

"I'm fine. Just tired and hungry."

"…and yearning for someone," Holden added with a grin.

Jack rolled his eyes at his cousin, although he knew full well that the insinuation was completely warranted.

"Do they have a jukebox around here?" he asked lamely as he looked around everywhere but straight ahead, trying to change the subject. The attempt was a failure.

"Look at you. You're an emotional wreck," Holden said as he watched his cousin guzzle down several large gulps of water.

"Well, what do you propose I do?" Jack asked in aggravation as he slammed his glass back onto the wooden table.

Holden looked at him pensively for a few seconds.

"Aside from trying to resolve your romantic entanglements, have you tried talking to Margo about getting your job back again?"

"Not since the last time," Jack said shaking his head. "And as you know, she wants me to get my personal life in order before I return to work full-time."

"But that was before you'd decided to end your marriage for sure and reunite with Carly."

"Yeah, but nothing's changed since then has it? I'm still married to Janet and I'm still not with Carly…if I will ever. So, obviously, as far as Margo's concerned, I haven't made any progress on either front…which is the truth"

"Yeah, but what if you told Margo you've made a decision about your marriage? After all, now you're just waiting to talk to Janet, right?"

"I suppose I could try again," Jack said, biting his lip reflectively. He paused. "You know, I think I've known what I wanted _long_ before I was ever able to acknowledge it. I just didn't have the nerve…and now, when I want to get it over with as soon as possible, Janet's not around."

"Wow," Holden said, slightly overwhelmed by the rawness of his cousin's words. "You _do_ realize that this is hardly going to be as easy as ripping off a band-aid, right?"

"I don't mean to sound insensitive about it, Holden," Jack clarified. "It's just that the sooner it's dealt with, the better. As it is, things have been in limbo for far too long. It's high time we settled everything once and for all."

Holden nodded in comprehension.

"And Carly?" he asked.

"What about her?" Jack asked solemnly. "She's obviously pretty set about where things stand between us, even though I've made my feelings more than clear to her."

Holden watched Jack closely for a few moments before speaking.

"Listen Jack, I'm going to come off sounding like the world's biggest hypocrite here, but let me give you some unsolicited advice."

Jack stared at his cousin searchingly.

"Okay…" he said tentatively.

"But before I do," Holden continued, "Answer a few questions for me."

"Shoot," Jack said, shifting in his seat to focus more completely on his cousin.

Holden sighed and took in a deep breath.

"You and Carly…you've broken up and gotten back together several times over the years, right?"

"Uh, yeah," he said with a meaningful chuckle.

The initial question was capable of producing a novel-sized response if elaborated upon, but given that Holden had been a firsthand witness to the majority of the Carly-Jack saga; those two words and the unspoken sentiment that followed seemed to be more than enough.

"Why is it that you guys kept going back to each other over and over again?" Holden continued.

"Because we realized we still loved each other," Jack said plainly.

"Right. And each time you married her, why'd you do it?"

"Same reason. Because I loved her, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her." Jack paused; a melancholy expression visible on his face. "Of course we all know how that's turned out in the long run…"

"And yet, to this day, you still want that, right? With Carly?" Holden asked.

Jack shot his cousin a look of puzzlement.

"What is this? Are we playing twenty questions here?" he asked, casually but sarcastically.

"Just go along with me here," Holden said assuredly.

Jack sighed and did as requested.

"Continue," he permitted.

"So, as I was saying…you _still_ want that with Carly to this day, don't you?" Holden repeated.

"Yes," Jack responded immediately.

"And did you have feelings for any other women when you asked Carly to marry you or when you were married to her?" Holden asked.

"Other than what I felt for the second Julia during the amnesia bug; no. Never. And even that wore off pretty quickly once I remembered Carly and realized the games Julia was playing."

Jack watched Holden cringe at the mention of Nurse Julia Larabee.

"Yeah, not exactly our finest hour, eh?" Holden asked guiltily followed by a nervous laugh.

"I'd rather forget about it," Jack remarked with a frown.

"Ditto. So, other than the Julia Larabee debacle—which I think was an extenuating circumstance given the amnesia—when you were with Carly, she's the only woman you loved, right?"

"Right," Jack confirmed, still wondering where Holden was going with all this.

"Now…the other Julia, Katie, and Janet," Holden continued, "when you asked these women to marry you, did you still have feelings for Carly?"

That was an easy answer of Jack.

"Yes."

"Okay, and while you were _married_ to these women, what was the main cause that led to each breakup? Really think about it. Why didn't these marriages work out?"

Jack mulled over his response, and as he went through his relationship with each woman, only one constant remained.

"Carly," he uttered quietly.

"_Exactly!_" Holden exclaimed, punctuating it by pointing his forefinger at Jack. "Carly. You were still in love with Carly when you married Julia; you were still in love with Carly when you married Katie; and you're still in love with Carly now while you're married to Janet. What does that tell you?"

Jack was silent for a few moments.

"That I'll always love Carly," he responded quietly a second time.

Holden nodded.

"Not just _love_ Carly, but you'll always be _in love_ with her," Holden clarified. "Jack, I've known you pretty much your whole life. I know you better than anyone—except for maybe Carly. I still remember the day you first met her in Montana. You guys were at each other's throats from the beginning, but there was _something _underneath it all. I noticed it, Molly noticed it, and everyone else in Oakdale eventually came to notice it. I don't know what it was…chemistry, sexual tension, attraction…maybe a mix of all three, but it was damn strong from the start. So whatever you've felt for her since that day… love, passion, anger, and whatever else…it's still going strong to this day and obviously hasn't changed. And as far as I have seen over the years, _no_ other woman has ever made you feel even a fraction of what I've seen Carly make you feel."

"So, what are you saying?" Jack asked, starting to understand where Holden was going with all this but requiring more elaboration.

"You married nutty Julia to prove that you were over Carly, you married Katie to prove that you were over Carly, and you married Janet to prove that you could live without Carly. Two out of three of those marriages were in retaliation for Carly having hurt you. Still, despite everything Carly has done over the years, you've never been able to get over her or live without her, have you? And I'm not even factoring the kids into this equation. Yes, you guys have to interact with each other because you share three kids, but you can't tell me that it's the only reason you try to stay so involved in her life."

"Okay, guilty as charged," Jack admitted.

"And you broke up with Julia because you realized you were still in love with Carly, Katie broke it off with you because she realized you were still in love with Carly, and your main reason for obviously wanting to end your marriage to Janet is because of that same ongoing love for Carly."

Holden's words were fluidly sinking into Jack's mind, and although his cousin was pretty much reiterating everything he already knew, there was a renewed sense of realization as he continued to lay things down on the table for him.

"Carly is your constant, Jack," Holden stated simply. "She always will be. Even after all the ups and downs the two of you have been through with each other over the past eighteen years, she still is and no amount of running away from her and trying to make it work with someone else is going last in the long-term. No offense, but any woman who gives you the time of day knowing what you feel for Carly is just asking for heartache, as I'm sure all three of those women from your past will attest to."

"Gee, thanks," Jack said with a sarcastic half-frown.

Holden shrugged.

"Just trying to help," he said. "So, do you see the point of this little exercise?"

Jack nodded.

"I think so," he said.

"Obviously it's nothing you didn't already know," Holden continued, "but it's as basic as this: as far as your love life is concerned, it's Carly or no one for you. You might temporarily find womanly comfort in any corner you look, but it'll never last, because when it comes to love, your heart will always belong to one woman and one woman alone. The same woman you keep trying to run away from because you've been so goddamn scared, but can't seem to resist just the same."

"I'm not running away from her anymore, Holden. I've made it _clear_ to her that I want her back. She's the one who's running."

"Do you blame her?" Holden asked pointedly. "You haven't exactly followed through on your feelings, Jack. You almost reunited with her a little over a year ago, and then you ran away."

"I was scared, Holden" Jack replied earnestly.

"And now _she's_ scared," Holden countered.

"Or maybe she doesn't love me as much as I thought she did," Jack said with great distress.

Holden shook his head disappointedly at his cousin.

"You know what, Jack? Sometimes you can be so thick," he criticized. "Do you honestly believe that Carly is ever capable of not loving you anymore? I mean, honestly? Of course I'm no expert when it comes to reading a woman's mind, but if the eye contact between the two of you last night was _any_ indication at all, I'd say that nothing has changed since I stood to your right at the Lakeview and saw the two of you look at each other from across the room before you said your 'I do's.' And from what I saw yesterday, I'd bet all my money that she still loves you just as much as she always has."

A smile crossed Jack's lips at Holden's reassurance before he grew serious again.

"All this sounds good on paper Holden, but if I can't get her back, what difference does it make?"

"Like I said, you fight for her. She's fought for you in the past, hasn't she?" Holden said through his reminiscent laughter. "Maybe she didn't always go about it the right way, but she's done more than her fair share of it, Jack, and I think now it's _your_ turn."

Jack laughed along with Holden at the memories of Carly having fought for him over the years. During all those times she'd tried to win him back, none of her actions had been laugh-worthy in the least, but reflecting back on all she had done to show him that they belonged together; it all had more meaning to him now than he had ever cared to realize before.

"You know, sometimes I _almost_ wish she'd turn into that Carly again," Jack said wistfully.

"Be careful what you wish for," Holden said with a smirk. "In any case, I think _this time_, the ball is in your court. It's not going to be easy, but like I said, it's either Carly or no one for you. And I think it's high time you recognized that and stopped thinking you can replace her with someone else."

Jack looked at Holden with a gravely concerned expression.

"What if she tries to replace me?" he asked.

"With who? Neal?" Holden joked.

"It's not funny, Holden. She's obviously fond of the guy. What if it develops into something more?"

"Like I said…from those looks I saw between the two of you last night, Neal might as well have been part of the wallpaper in that room."

Jack had just opened his mouth to respond when the waitress brought out their food. Once she had walked away, Jack narrowed his eyes on Holden, fluently flipping the focus of the subject from him to his cousin.

"What about you?" he asked pointedly. "You think you can be happy with Molly with Lily still around?"

Holden looked at Jack and set down the knife and fork he had been working into his steak.

"I knew that was coming," he said with a deep sigh.

"Come on, Holden. You can't tell me you don't still love Lily," Jack said confidently.

"_Of course_ I still love Lily. I'll always love Lily. But our situation is a lot more complicated than your's and Carly's."

Jack couldn't help but scoff at the claim.

"How so?" he asked.

Holden, who had been nothing short of articulate up until that point, now fumbled around for the right words.

"See, this—_this_ is why I prefaced my 'advice' to you by saying that I'd come off looking like the world's biggest hypocrite," he said.

"Damn straight," Jack declared matter-of-factly.

"I had it coming, I know," Holden admitted.

"Because you're with Molly while you're still in love with Lily?" Jack offered.

Holden sighed deeply a second time.

"Things are so much more complicated for me and Lily," he repeated.

"_How_ exactly?" Jack wondered again.

"You know what the difference is between you and Carly, and Lily and me, Jack?" Holden asked rhetorically before continuing. "When you and Carly were together, you never had issues staying faithful to each other. Lily and I, our _entire_ marriage has been plagued by infidelity…on both sides."

Jack cringed at the thought of one particular affair, which Holden recognized immediately and deflected by trudging on with his explanation.

"The thing is; you and Carly, you guys can still work out all your problems. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but you can _fix_ what's broken. Lily and I, we're past that point. We've tried so many times, but we just can't make it work, and in the end, not only do we end up hurting each other, we end up hurting the kids."

"Do you think it's fair to Molly though?" Jack asked.

Holden was silent for a few moments.

"Probably not," he said, struggling as he admitted it out loud.

"So, despite all your issues with Lily, you don't think there's any possibility whatsoever that the two of you might reunite ever again?" Jack prodded.

Holden was having a harder time answering Jack's straightforward questions. He chuckled nervously and shook his head at the irony of their respective situations.

"Boy, it's easy to dole out advice when you're on the outside looking in, but damn near impossible when you're smack dab in the middle of it, isn't it?" he asked, referring to their mutual ability to diagnose the other's romantic problems but being unable to make complete sense of their own. "To be honest, Jack, I really don't know what I'm going to do," he said finally.

Jack listened carefully to his cousin's point of view.

"You don't think that there's any chance that things could be different this time with Lily?" he asked.

"I don't know. I mean, she was set to marry Damian only a couple of months after I was presumed dead, and she _still_ went through with the ceremony once she knew that I was alive. That's not something you can just gloss over the next day."

"Holden, I have _no_ idea why Lily did what she did," Jack said honestly. "I checked in on her a couple of times after you were…you know…and she was really torn up about losing you. There's no doubt that Damian was preying on her vulnerability and manipulated her into marrying him to _some_ degree…I just wish I'd seen it sooner. I'm not saying Lily wasn't responsible for what happened, but part of the blame falls on me."

Holden shook his head.

"No, Jack, Lily knew what she was doing. I guess I just don't understand why…" He paused, unable to complete the sentence. "Not that it matters now anyway," he finished finally.

"You sure about that?" Jack asked, unconvinced.

"Alright, maybe I'd like to find out what the hell she was thinking," Holden admitted. "But really, there's no reunion for us over the horizon."

"Okay, I _get_ that you guys have a thorny history, but are you sure it couldn't be different this time?"

"How many 'this times' can there be before we accept reality, Jack?"

"You've got me there," Jack ceded. "Carly and I; we've had about a _hundred_ of those ourselves."

"Like I said; the difference is that you and Carly have workable issues once you both quit being so damn proud and stubborn—and when I say that, I'm mostly talking about _you_," Holden said pointedly. "You both know where you went wrong, and while neither of you might've necessarily changed since the last time you were together, you know what you have to lose."

"Point taken," Jack acknowledged. "Listen Holden, I care about Molly, I really do. But if you're ever going to take this relationship to the next level—like marriage—then you have to be completely sure that there's no going back with Lily. Neither one of us wants to see Molly hurt in the long run, right? We both know that this is familiar territory for me, so don't make the same mistake I've made…multiple times."

"I've been thinking about it, Jack," Holden confessed. "I thought about proposing to Molly, you know. But I know that there's a lot I need to think about before I make any life-changing decisions for either of us."

"Yeah, well, if you have any questions, just ask," Jack joked, lightening the moment.

"I'll just refer to your guidebook," Holden joked back.

With that, both cousins focused on the plates in front of them and attacked their steaks; each with a knife and fork in hand. Even as they performed this simple task, each had about a million thoughts racing through his head.

Carly rapped on the door engraved with the house number that Molly had written down for her on a piece of paper. Sage stood next to her holding a book she had decided to bring along, knowing that her mother and aunt would break off into a conversation about topics unknown like they always did at some point during their visit. The book would prove to be a handy distraction when that time came. The door to the apartment opened to reveal a smiling Molly on the other side.

"Hey Cuz, I thought I'd have to eat all that food by myself," she said animatedly as she leaned forward to kiss Carly lightly on the mouth; a practice all too familiar between them.

"I'm so sorry, honey," Carly apologized again.

"Don't worry about it," Molly said good-naturedly with a flick of her wrist and turned her attention to Sage. "Hi pretty girl," she said as she bent down slightly to kiss Sage on the cheek. "Come on in," she said, ushering them both into her living room.

Carly took in her surroundings. The living room was moderate-sized with cream colored walls and dark brown carpeting. The living room set was arranged in a 'C' pattern and consisted of a couch that ran parallel to the length of the room, a loveseat that sat adjacent to the couch on one side, and an armchair on the other side of the couch; facing the loveseat. The matching upholstery consisted of dark blue suede and was accented with intricate white floral designs. Several white and dark blue cushions rested atop of all three pieces. A wooden coffee table stood snugly enveloped amidst the furniture with two side tables positioned on either end of the couch. On the other side of the coffee table stood an entertainment center which consisted of a large flat-screen TV, a DVD player, a cable box, and a stacked, wide collection of DVDs. A variety of artwork hung mounted against all four walls. Carly smiled at the entire landscape, recognizing the 'Molly' touch around the room.

"Mol, it's lovely," she said.

Molly grinned at the compliment.

"Thank you," she said as she looked from Carly to Sage. "How about I give you guys a tour of the rest of the place, huh?" she added, leading them further through the apartment.

As she made her way from room to room, Carly was impressed with her cousin's interior design skills. The whole place had a comfy, homely feel to it; reminding Carly of Molly's last apartment: a place that she had called 'home' for a time herself. Once Molly had given Sage and Carly a walk-through of the entire apartment, she ushered them into the kitchen to brief them on the lunch menu.

"So, the last time I tried to cook a meal, Holden had to run into Emma's kitchen with a fire extinguisher to put out what was left of it, _so_, I decided that I love you both too much to subject you to that kind of misery and ordered take-out from _Beijing Garden_ instead," she said, motioning toward the white boxes sitting on the granite counter. "Sage, I know how much you love their orange chicken, so I ordered a whole box just for you."

Sage grinned.

"Thanks Aunt Molly, but I don't know how much I'll be able to eat. I'm still full from all the donuts and muffins Aunt Lily brought over this morning. She made sure to bring over a couple of chocolate chocolate-chip muffins just for me."

Carly turned pale at her daughter's revelation, and as anticipated, after Molly had flashed Sage a forced smile, she shot her a look that was an equal mixture of hurt and confusion at the mention of Lily's name.

"Well, whenever you feel hungry, just help yourself, okay?" Molly told Sage, attempting to reconstruct her forced smile once more. "Why don't you go pick out a nice chick flick for us to watch, sweetie? Your mom and I will be right out."

Sage nodded and made her way to the living room.

Once Sage was out of the room, Molly's face grew serious.

"Lily?" she asked, folding her arms and awaiting an explanation.

Carly nodded, hoping she could side-step the issue with minimal tension.

"Yeah. She dropped by with Ethan and Natalie this morning."

"And brought over breakfast?"

Carly nodded again.

Molly paused in thought for a few moments.

"Hold on. Is that who was at your place when I called earlier?" she asked, looking slightly agitated.

"Mm-hmm."

Carly pursed her lips, knowing that the interrogation wasn't over. Under different circumstances, such an interrogation would've been inappropriate, but given that it was coming from Molly, and the closeness between them, it was well within bounds.

"I could've sworn that I also heard a guy's voice laughing in the background," Molly said with knitted eyebrows.

"Yeah. Neal was there too," Carly admitted.

"That's a pretty odd gathering, isn't it?" Molly said with a small laugh.

"Not really. Remember I told you that Lily is the one who officially introduced Neal and me?" Carly reminded.

"Oh, that's right," Molly said, recalling Carly mentioning that bit of information to her after she'd first met Neal at Milltown a couple of days ago. "Did you guys plan this little get-together?"

"Uhh…no," Carly said slowly, "Lily stopped by with the kids early this morning, and Neal dropped by a little later. You know, just to say 'hi,'" she fibbed.

"Since when did you and Lily start hanging out again?" Molly asked in puzzlement.

"Well, we haven't. I just ran into her in the restroom yesterday at the benefit and we got to talking for a little bit. I guess it reminded both of us of what it was like when we used to be friends. So she just stopped by with the kids and we caught up for a little while."

"I see," Molly said, nodding simultaneously. She paused for a few seconds. "Did she ask you about Holden and me?"

"No," Carly said immediately. "No. She didn't bring you guys up at all. Besides, I wouldn't tell her anything about the two of you—you know that."

Molly gave Carly a small smile.

"I know."

"Good," Carly said with a genuine smile. "Besides, you also know how much I love you. No one can take your place in my life."

Molly's smile widened at Carly's words and she affectionately tapped her cousin's cheek a couple of times in response.

"Come on," Carly said quickly. "Let's plate up and see what movie Sage picked out. I'm just hoping it isn't 'Mama Mia' again. I swear, I couldn't sing anything but _Abba_ for weeks after I got her that DVD."

Molly chuckled.

"Yeah, I remember. It was pretty contagious."

The rest of the afternoon went by quite pleasantly. Carly noticed that Molly seemed to have forgotten all about Lily and had loosened up as she reclined on the couch next to Carly with her feet up on the coffee table; a cold can of soda in hand. Carly smiled satisfactorily and refocused her attention on 'The Notebook.'

Once they had reached Oakdale, Jack had Holden drop him off in the parking lot at the Lakeview by his car rather than out in front of main entrance. His conversation with Holden had motivated him to begin taking charge of his life; starting immediately. About fifteen minutes later, he walked through the double glass doors of the Oakdale Police Station, looking for the incumbent chief of police. He made his way past her empty desk and found her sitting at the table in the interrogation room with a pile of files and cases spread out before her. Jack worried at the sight before him. She looked completely overwhelmed by her workload; the bags under her eyes and her tousled short blonde hair accounting for his conclusion. She was so consumed by the paperwork strewn around in front of her that she didn't even notice him walk into the room.

"Margo?" Jack said, making her look up at him. "I want my job back."

There was unmistakable determination in his eyes.


	11. All Work And No Romance

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: ALL WORK AND NO ROMANCE**

It had been a while since Jack had awakened on a weekday morning with such a positive outlook and clear sense of purpose. Fortunately for him, this particular Thursday had brought with it an end to that streak of uselessness that had been eating away at him since those first moments when it had really hit him that he was no longer employed. Of course the word "employed" sounded so incredibly trivial to him when being a cop had always meant so much more. To him, it wasn't just a job; it was a way of life. It defined who he was to the core. He had never had a doubt in his mind that he had been placed on this earth to fulfill that calling. That is, until that ill-fated day on a cold October evening when his world had come crashing down around him in a dark warehouse on the outskirts of town. Since then, he had questioned everything that he had known and believed in since the beginning of his very existence. It had taken him a long time to get to this point. Emotionally, the wounds were still raw and vulnerable, but he had finally found the strength to slowly pick up the pieces of his life that had remained there shattered at his feet all these months. He was finally braving his way to recapture his life by putting one foot in front of the other; one step at a time.

There was only one person Jack could credit for bringing him to this point: Carly. She had stood by him and acted as his voice of reason and fought like hell to deliver him from his own self-loathing and utter state of turmoil. He hadn't made it easy for her by any means. Angry, bitter, and lost as ever, there were times when he had said things to her out of spite and resentment; when his emotions had slipped beyond his control. Still, she was undeterred. She knew him, through the good times and the bad. She had seen him through most of his highest highs and lowest lows; and somehow, through it all, she always knew what he was thinking and how he was feeling even when he had no idea himself. Each time he had questioned her about why she had followed him from destination to destination when he'd taken off after his brother's funeral, she had listed their children as being her main reason. However, he knew better. The children were definitely a motivating factor in her determination to bring him home, but he also knew that she was doing it for him; out of care and concern for him. She had been there for him at a time of great need when his own wife had shunned him away and barely tried to reach out to him.

Speaking of reaching out; Jack picked up his cell phone and tried once more to get through to Janet—his intention for getting in touch with her remaining exactly the same as the past several days. Voicemail _again_. Jack wondered if she was merely experiencing technical difficulties with her phone, or if she was simply choosing to ignore his calls. The latter notion wasn't all that far-fetched given how exceedingly moody she had grown lately; worse than before. Of course he knew that some of her behavior was partially warranted since he had admittedly closed himself off to her. Still, regardless of the circumstances, Jack's patience was wearing thin, especially given that it had been over a week since she had left town and still hadn't bothered to get in touch with him—if for no other reason than to check on her daughter. It's not like he could've given her much of an update anyway given that Liberty's inherited moodiness hand also shot up simultaneously alongside her mother's. Things between Jack and his niece had started to mellow down around Christmas and she had become more receptive toward him, but then suddenly, she had once again resorted to giving him the cold shoulder. In fact, he hadn't seen at her at all since she had decided to go and stay with Teri during her mother's absence from the farm. So, Jack decided to go with a new approach to get in touch with Janet.

"Teri, hi. It's Jack," he said, when the woman at the other end of the line answered.

"Hi Jack."

"Have you spoken to Janet at all lately?" he asked.

"Not directly," Teri informed him. "But I know that she and Libby have been in touch every day. Turns out she's having a good time bonding with my aunt and uncle." Teri paused. "She hasn't called you?"

"Um, no," Jack said.

"Oh…" Teri said, and an awkward silence ensued.

"Listen Teri, I really need to get in touch with her, and I can't seem to get through to her on her cell phone. Do you think that you could give me the phone number to your aunt and uncle's? Please?" Jack implored.

Another short silence followed as Teri seemed to ponder his request.

"Okay, hold on," she said finally.

A few seconds later she dictated the digits to Jack who quickly jotted it down on a notepad he found on the nightstand by his bed. Jack thanked Teri and hung up. He then dialed the number scribbled onto the piece of paper.

"Hello?" said a grouchy older man's voice at the other end of the line.

"Hi. Can I speak to Janet?" Jack asked evenly.

"Who?" the man rasped into the phone.

"Janet," Jack repeated.

"There's no Janet here," the man said. "Are you a damn telemarketer?"

"No sir, I'm not," Jack said; put off by the man's standoffish attitude but keeping his cool. "I'm just trying to reach your niece Janet. I was told that she was staying with you."

"Janet? Janet Ciccone?" the old man asked. "I haven't seen her in nearly ten years," he said. "She came by with her little girl the last time I saw her, and then she got into it with my wife and left and we haven't heard from her since."

Jack was dumbfounded by the man's claims but could easily tell that they were sincere.

"Okay, well I'm sorry to bother you," Jack said.

The man hung up without any sort of acknowledgement in return. The lack of courtesy didn't bother Jack given that he had more important things to worry about. He closed his phone slowly and looked down at the carpet; overwhelmed.

It was clear by now that Janet had obviously lied about her whereabouts to him—including to her sister, and most likely to her daughter as well. If she had been speaking to Liberty every day, then she wasn't in any kind of danger. So Jack deduced that Janet had no intention of visiting her relatives in Brooklyn to begin with—especially given that her connection to them had been severed nearly ten years ago—and he knew that Janet didn't forgive easily. As frustrating and confusing as this dead end to reaching Janet had been, Jack could only guess that the lack of contact from her meant that she needed some time to herself away from him. Although he knew that he should be bothered if that were the case, he found it peculiar that he really didn't; he did, however, need to speak with her for other reasons. He had to temporarily put it all out of his mind when he looked at the clock. Jack grabbed his jacket and sprinted out the door, shutting it behind him and headed for the elevators.

Carly set the pen down on the desk before her once she'd signed the final legal document and looked around the busy bank. In the chair next to her, Lily punctuated another similar piece of paper with a spirited dot after scribbling her signature on the line above Carly's. They both looked at each other; each wearing an identical grin that reflected their barely contained excitement. Lily gathered together all the papers lying before her and Carly and quickly went through each one before handing the entire stack over to the man sitting on the other side of the desk. The nameplate resting in front of him read, 'Eric Maxwell' in large bold letters; with the title, 'loan officer' etched in smaller print beneath it. He briefly studied each document before reaching forward and fluidly stamping the first four with an authentic seal.

"Congratulations Ladies," Mr. Maxwell said, looking from a beaming Carly to a beaming Lily. "Your loan has now been officially pre-approved."

"So, just to clarify, Mr. Maxwell…" Lily began, still wearing the same smile, "we can make an offer on the place we'd like to lease as long as we provide the realtor with copies of the proof of contract, the credit check reports, and the loan agreement documents; am I right?"

"Correct," he said with a nod. "And the pre-approval letter, which I'm printing out right…now," he finished, as he simultaneously looked at his computer screen and clicked on the mouse connected to his keyboard. Almost immediately, the printer situated next to his desk began whirring into action and spat out a series of documents. "Here you go," he said, handing them over to Lily.

"Thank you," she said, briefly glancing over them before tucking them into her folder with the rest of the documents they had already gone over.

"Any other questions I can answer for you, Ladies?" Mr. Maxwell inquired.

Lily and Carly took the opportunity to get further clarification on a few of the clauses and better understand some of the legal jargon mentioned in the documents. Finally, when they were satisfied with the information they had gathered, they took leave from Mr. Maxwell.

"Good luck to you both," he said as he shook hands with both women. "And again, if you have any questions; you have my card, so don't hesitate to give me a call."

Carly and Lily thanked the man one last time and headed for the exit. Once they were outside the bank, Lily turned to Carly and did a tiny happy hop.

"Can you believe how far we've come already?" she asked excitedly.

"I know!" Carly exclaimed, matching her enthusiasm. "Contract agreement signed: check. Bank loan pre-approved: check. Lease offer approved: status pending. Thank God you have impeccable credit history. I had no idea that they could process a loan for such a large amount within forty-eight hours. It's amazing how the times have changed."

"I was pretty surprised too," Lily replied. "I guess the partnership at the Lakeview and my stake at Worldwide finally came in handy."

Suddenly, a concerned expression appeared on Carly's face and she clutched Lily's forearm.

"Lily, they didn't contact your mother as a reference to check up on your credit history or anything did they? I mean, after all, both those business dealings are—or were—with your mother."

"Carly, don't worry," Lily assured her. "I checked beforehand. They don't call any acquaintances. Besides, they can't do that with my consent. The forms they had me fill out only required me to provide them with bank information. They check the credit card history, bank statements, and mortgage payments…that sort of thing. Besides, if my mother had caught wind of this, do you think that that loan would've been approved at all?"

Carly pondered Lily's reasoning.

"Hmm…I suppose you're right," she concurred, relaxing her shoulders.

They continued walking towards the parking lot to Lily's car.

It truly was amazing how much they'd accomplished over the past four days. Lily had stopped by Carly's house on Monday morning with a copy of the business contract that her lawyer had drawn up at her request over the weekend for Carly's Closet. The women had gone over all the terms and conditions together to make sure that they were in complete agreement over all the clauses outlined within the contract. It was essentially a simple, straight-forward understanding that spelled out each individual's responsibilities within the partnership and how all the profits would be distributed: Lily and Carly had comfortably agreed to go an even 50-50 with Lily overseeing the business end and Carly working on the creative end; each with the combined goal of making Carly's Closet a success with the efforts.

Jack walked through the all-too-familiar glass doors of the Oakdale P.D. to be welcomed by the half dozen officers inside with cheers and applause. He waved a general salute in their direction before making his way to Margo's desk. She had been watching his entrance and the reception he had received from his colleagues with a smile on her face.

"Welcome back, Detective," she said as she patted him thrice on the shoulder.

Jack took in the recognizable atmosphere of the place he'd pretty much branded as his second home for nearly the past thirteen years. Of course it wasn't the ideal setting or environment to claim as a "home"—especially given the number of lowlifes who walked through those doors sporting a pair of handcuffs, but it was still a place where, despite all the drama and stress, he found the most peace and comfort.

"Thanks Chief," he replied with a smile.

"Step into the interrogation room with me," Margo said, grabbing a large manila envelope that had been lying on her desk. "I just want to go over a few things with you."

Jack followed Margo into the tiny room and shut the door behind him and they both took a seat on opposite sides of the table. Margo emptied out the contents of the envelope and placed them before Jack.

"Okay. So, these are your payroll documents. You need to fill these out and then sign here and here," she said, pointing to two different spots on two different pieces of paper as she handed Jack a pen that she had retrieved from her coat pocket. "We'll have these processed right away so that your first paycheck is direct deposited into your account starting the week of the fifteenth. I'll give you a few minutes to get those completed."

"That's it?" Jack asked incredulously.

"That's it," Margo confirmed with a grin.

"How can that be?" Jack asked, still in disbelief. "I came in here today thinking we'd have to work through an entire procedure starting from the beginning. I'm reinstated just like that?"

"Mm-hmm," Margo nodded, the grin still pasted on her face.

"How?" Jack inquired, wanting an explanation.

"You've been here before, Jack. You should know how it works by now."

"Yeah, but those times were different. This time I actually…" He trailed off, unable to complete the sentence.

He swallowed hard and silently finished the statement: _killed someone_.

Margo's expression grew as somber as Jack's at the inference to Brad's death. She reached out and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Since you were cleared of all wrongdoing, once you turned in your badge and gun, I spoke with the Commissioner and requested that they withhold finalizing your resignation for a little while. So, given the character recommendation that I pitched him on your behalf, he was willing to suspend your resignation during a ninety-day probationary period before any official action was taken, which is why other than the stop gap in your paycheck, you've basically been on an unpaid sabbatical over the past couple of months…even though you didn't know that."

"Well, those ninety days would end in like what…" Jack said as he glanced over at the calendar mounted against the wall at the far end of the room, "...two weeks," he finished.

"Yup," Margo said.

Jack raised his eyebrows at her questioningly.

"And you were so sure I'd be back by then?" he asked.

"One-hundred percent," she informed him confidently.

Jack chuckled at the manner in which she had responded. After all these years of working side-by-side together, it was no surprise that Margo knew him so well. In fact, she was probably only third to Carly and Holden at reading him like a book.

"You were so sure that I'd get my personal life all sorted out by then?" he questioned more specifically.

"Absolutely," she said; her expression just as confident.

"You know, I'm surprised you wanted me back this time without checking to make sure that I was actually getting things into gear."

"Oh, I know you, Jack," Margo continued. "I know how much this job means to you. I know how resilient you are. And if there was the slightest chance that you didn't come barreling in here wanting it back on your own, then I would've dragged you down in handcuffs myself and had you reinstated."

Jack laughed good-naturedly at his boss's vigor.

"So…going back to your personal life. Any progress there?" Margo asked; her eyes narrowed on her best detective.

Jack sighed as all traces of the smile that had accompanied his laughter quickly faded from his face.

"To be honest, not much," he confessed. "I've been wanting to talk to Janet, but she's been…" he weighed his words carefully, "out of town."

"Does this mean that the marriage is back on?" Margo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jack shook his head.

"That's why I need to talk to Janet. I've been putting it off long enough."

"So, then, you and Carly made up?"

Jack looked at Margo grimly, shaking his head again.

"But...you want to..?" Margo asked slowly, reading his expression.

"What I want doesn't seem to matter at this point," he said. "But if there's one thing I plan on doing this time, it's not giving up."

"Attaboy," Margo said as she stood up. "Why don't you get crackin' on that paperwork? I'll be back in a few."

Margo shut the door behind her, leaving Jack alone in the room with a bunch of payroll forms staring up at him. About ten minutes later Margo reemerged holding a large cardboard box that she set down on the table before them.

"You all done with those?" she asked, gesturing toward the paperwork.

"Yeah," he said, shifting his attention to the box containing a white sticker with the words, 'Det. Jack Snyder' printed in large, black font.

"I already moved Collins from your desk. He wasn't too thrilled about it of course, but he'll get over it," Margo informed him as she reached into the box and pulled out two heavy objects.

Jack reveled at the sight of them: two items that he had kept with him almost consistently since he had first taken an oath as a police officer of the Oakdale P.D.

"Here you are, Detective," Margo said, gently handing the revolver to Jack who grasped it securely before setting it down on the table next to him. "And of course, this," she continued, placing the object into his outstretched palm.

Jack looked down at the gold-plated badge etched with an emblem and the words 'Oakdale Police Department' carved onto it.

"Thanks Margo," he said, still looking down at his hand.

"It's good to have you back, Jack," she beamed. "Listen, I know you walked in here not expecting to be on duty, so you don't have to clock in today. I wanted to give you a couple of days in case you needed to get anything else sorted out."

"No, Margo," Jack countered immediately. "I have nothing planned for the day, and there really is nothing to sort out at the moment anyway. I think what I need more than anything is to get back into a rhythm here. Of course the final decision is up to you."

"I was actually hoping you'd stick around," Margo confessed with a purposeful grin. "Unfortunately, there's a case that just came in that I can't touch, so who better to work on it than my best detective? I'll be right back," she said as she once again headed out the door.

Jack peered into the box and caught a glimpse of a few more familiar items that were partially visible through the pile. Most of them had sat on his desk for years. Amongst them were two framed pictures: one of him and the kids, and another recent one of him and Parker. He reached in and pulled out his gun holster just as Margo walked back in holding a file.

"Must be nice to see everything again," she said.

"Yeah," Jack said, diverting his attention away from the stuff in the box to the file in Margo's hands. "So, what've you got for me?"

"Oh…just this," she said, handing the file over to him.

Jack opened it and browsed over the contents on the first page. He looked at Margo in surprise.

"You've got to be kidding me," he said.

"I wish I were," she responded, pursing her lips.

Carly knocked on the glass door as she and Lily stood side by side outside the empty store. Within seconds, a short, slender, brunette woman who looked to be in her mid-forties answered it. She was wearing a black business suit and her hair was pulled back into a neat bun. She looked to be in her mid-forties, and by the smile on her face, seemed to have a nice air about her. Carly guessed that she had to be Elizabeth Snelling, the commercial real estate agent with whom Lily had set up their appointment.

"Hello. You're my eleven o'clocks, I assume?" she asked.

"Yes we are," Lily confirmed. "This is my partner, Carly Tenney; and I'm Lily Walsh."

"Ah, Elizabeth Snelling," she said, first shaking Lily's hand and then Carly's. "Come on in, Ladies," she gestured, stepping aside to let them in.

Carly and Lily's eyes roamed from white wall to white wall as they began their immediate inspection of the place they hoped would be the setting of their potential boutique.

"As you can see, the previous tenant had these walls painted just a few months ago. Unfortunately, he went out of business shortly thereafter," Elizabeth informed them. She looked at Carly and Lily. "How about we do a quick tour?" she asked.

Carly and Lily agreed. Elizabeth led them throughout the empty store, giving them a thorough walkthrough and pointing out important details as they did so. Although Carly had been in there at least a few dozen times while the place was still known as 'Otto's Music Shop', it felt strangely different to be standing inside without being surrounded by the colorful posters, the numerous racks of CDs, the mounted guitars, and music blaring in the background. She felt sorry for Otto, yes, but she couldn't help the twinge of excitement that coursed through her as her mind began to conjure up ideas on how she planned to utilize all that empty space.

Jack stood outside the Lakeview hotel room and knocked on the door. He wasn't exactly looking forward to seeing the face that he anticipated would open it, but it was all, sadly, part of the job.

"Jack!"

Jack couldn't help the automatic frown that had crept up on his face in reaction.

"Craig," he said curtly, immediately noticing the large white bandage that was wrapped around his forehead.

"What're you doing here?" a surprised Craig asked.

"Working on your case," Jack informed him.

Craig cackled sardonically, effectively annoying Jack further than when they'd just come face-to-face. Fortunately for Jack, the laughter quickly died in Craig's throat when it seemed to adversely affect the wound on his head. Unfortunately for Jack, however, his sarcasm hadn't taken a similar hit.

"In case you forgot, Jack, you don't get to play 'detective' once you've turned in your badge."

Jack reached down next to his belt buckle beneath his coat.

"You mean this one?" he asked; producing the large, heavy object and holding it up.

Craig looked utterly dumbfounded.

"Wait…how…?" he started, unable to properly phrase his question.

"Your sister," Jack said plainly. "She was more than happy to hold on to it for me."

"But you resigned!" Craig protested.

"I did. But it turns out that she pulled some strings with the Commissioner and had my resignation deferred for a while."

"Is that even _legal_?" Craig whined.

"Well, Craig, considering that it was an agreement reached by the Chief of Police and the County Commissioner; I'd say it was perfectly legit. Besides, you of all people griping about legality is irony at its worst," Jack said bluntly.

Craig opened his mouth to respond, but Jack cut him off.

"Okay, how about we cut the chit-chat and get to the matter at hand," he said. "Can I come in?"

Craig grimaced at the request, but then gestured for Jack to enter.

"I'll just take a seat here," Jack said as he turned a chair facing a desk around and settled into it before Craig could offer him one—if ever.

Craig rolled his eyes and sat at the edge of his bed, facing Jack.

"I need you to answer a few questions for me, Craig," Jack continued. "You won't mind if I record this interview, would you?"

He pulled out a voice recorder from his jacket pocket, and pressed down on the record button before Craig could respond. Jack knew that in order to get anywhere with Craig, he'd have to call the shots without Craig's input…unless absolutely necessary.

"Why don't you give me an account of the attack?" Jack said.

"Alright," Craig began. "I was pulling out of the parking lot last night, and someone threw a brick through my windshield. Obviously, the perp was aiming for my head and succeeded."

Jack resisted the strong urge to comment on the situation. After all, disparaging remarks even towards a deserving candidate—who in this case was uncharacteristically playing the part of a victim—weren't exactly professional.

"Did you get a look at the attacker?" Jack asked.

"No," Craig said shaking his head. "By the time I got out of my car, he was gone. But I know damn well who did it!"

"Who?"

"Dusty Donovan!" Craig exclaimed contemptuously.

Jack looked at Craig questioningly. Margo had unofficially debriefed him on what Craig had told her last night when she'd visited him at the hospital after she'd handed him the case file, but they had both decided to keep that information between themselves. As the detective assigned to the case, they needed Craig to talk to Jack on the record.

"And you think it was Dusty because…?"

"Because he had motive!" Craig said, raising his voice.

"Based on what?" Jack asked.

"Well, we got into an argument the other day over Johnny. He said some things—you know…being a jerk as always—and I threatened to take away all his visitation rights with _my_ son."

"Did Dusty make any threats against you when you did?"

"Well, he didn't threaten bodily harm, but he did say that he'd fight me all the way."

"When did this happen?" Jack asked.

"A little over a week ago," Craig replied.

"Do you remember what day?"

Craig paused in thought for a few moments.

"Last Monday," he said finally.

"Around what time?" Jack asked.

"Oh, I don't know…around noon, I suppose," Craig recalled.

"And have you and Dusty had any more run-ins since the argument?"

"No. I haven't seen him since that day," Craig informed him.

"You didn't see him at all since then? You guys haven't passed each other in the lobby or going in and out of the elevators or in the hallways or anywhere else?" Jack elaborated.

"Nope."

"Did you try to find Dusty and confront him after the attack last night?"

Craig looked up nonchalantly at the ceiling.

"I might've pounded on his door a couple of times on a few separate occasions," he said with feigned innocence.

Jack groaned.

"Since you haven't seen him since the day you two argued, he obviously wasn't in his room each time you stopped by," Jack said in summarization.

"Very astute, Detective," Craig said sarcastically, earning a glare from Jack.

"Where did this argument take place?" Jack continued.

"In the lobby downstairs."

"And were there are witnesses?"

"Tons," Craig said. "The concierge, the front desk receptionists, a couple of waiters, a few guests…it was pretty public."

"Is there anyone else besides Dusty who might've done it?" Jack asked.

Craig frowned considerably.

"Jack, it was Dusty!" he said firmly.

"Has Dusty tried to make contact with Johnny at all since then?" Jack continued, ignoring the mini-outburst.

"No. But I've kept Johnny under strict surveillance. When he's not in school, he's with me at all times."

"Craig, from the sound of it, Dusty didn't exactly threaten you. What's more is that it doesn't make any sense that he would've waited over a week to retaliate. Not to mention, there is no proof linking Dusty to the attack at this point."

"Damn it! He's the only one with motive!" Craig insisted.

Jack looked at Craig with a smirk.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that," he said.

"What does _that_ mean?" Craig asked pointedly.

"I'm just saying, Craig…" Jack said with a shrug. "You don't exactly give off a warm and fuzzy vibe when you interact with other people. You're not going to tell me that Dusty is the only one who's ticked off at you, are you?"

Craig glared at Jack for a few seconds before his expression transformed into an impish grin.

"Well, I suppose if we're looking at it that way…you have motive as well, don't you Detective Snyder?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jack asked, annoyed.

"Well Jack, you weren't exactly thrilled to see me talking to Carly at the charity benefit the other night; and you _have_ gotten a bit confrontational with me a few times lately with intent to injure," he said with his signature Craig-like smugness.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me," Jack said, even more annoyed.

"Just calling it like I see it," Craig said with a casual shrug.

"Listen Montgomery, if I wanted to 'injure' you, I'd take you out into the middle of Old Town in broad daylight and do it," Jack growled. "Throwing a brick through a windshield at night is more up your alley, not mine. Besides, if we're really going to talk motive here, I'd have to add nearly three-fourths of this town to the list of suspects."

Craig gave Jack a dismissive smile as if the comment had been offered to him as a compliment rather than as an insult.

"Speaking of Carly…it must be a relief for her now that she doesn't have another mouth to feed every day," he said with a hint of sliminess.

Jack felt his jaw clench instinctively as it did whenever he was forced to carry on a conversation with Craig Montgomery for more than a minute.

"You're right, Craig," Jack shot back. "I'm sure she thanks her lucky stars for that every time she sees you and remembers your non-wedding."

Craig opened his mouth to retaliate but Jack got up from his chair and cut him off.

"Listen, as much as I'd love to stay here and shoot the breeze, I've got a job to do…even if that job ironically involves trying to serve and protect a miscreant like you."

Jack put the recorder into his coat pocket and brushed past Craig as he headed for the door.

"One more thing," he said, pausing at the doorway. "I don't want you trying to play detective in the meantime, you hear me? Stay away from Dusty and keep your nose clean. The brick is being analyzed by our Forensics Team right now, so if we find any fingerprints or I get any more info, I'll get in touch with you. "

With that, Jack walked out and slammed the door behind him.

Elizabeth Snelling looked at the two women standing before her.

"So, do you ladies have any more questions?" she asked.

Lily and Carly looked at each other before Lily answered on both their behalves.

"No. I think we have all the info we needed. Thanks again, Elizabeth—sorry, Liz," she said, correcting herself with a chuckle and honoring the woman's earlier request.

"It was very nice to meet you both," the woman said with a smile. "I'll present your offer to the owners later today and get back to you as soon as I have their decision."

Carly thoughtfully chewed on her bottom lip before speaking.

"Liz," she said with a hint of hesitancy, "Lily and I are very happy with this place. We were talking about it earlier while you were on the phone, and we think it'd be just perfect for our business: both space-wise and location-wise. We're more than willing to negotiate with the owners if it's necessary."

Lily nodded her agreement.

"We know they have several offers to consider, but please let them know that we're flexible," she added.

"I understand, ladies," Liz said with a warm smile. "I'll be sure to let Ron and Gina know that. My last showing is this afternoon, so I'm meeting with them this evening to present them with the offers I've received over the last couple of days." She looked at Lily. "I'll contact you tomorrow morning with their decision."

The women exchanged a few final pleasantries before Lily and Carly made their exit.

"God, Lily, I _really _think this is the one," Carly said keenly as they walked down the cobble-stoned pavement in Old Town.

"I know. I don't think I'm going to get any sleep tonight," Lily admitted.

"My tummy feels all fluttery," Carly said, lightly holding her stomach.

"Well, mine is just hungry," Lily informed her partner. "You up for some lunch?" she asked with a grin.

"Absolutely."

Margo was sitting at her desk and typing away on her desktop when Jack walked up to her. She noticed him approach out of the corner of her eye and turned to look at him.

"How'd it go?" she asked with a look of concern and slight dread.

"Swimmingly," Jack said sarcastically, earning an eyeroll from Margo. "Well, like you said, he's still sticking to his guns and thinks Dusty's the culprit."

"Of course," Margo said knowingly with a frustrated sigh. "Did you talk to Donovan?"

"No," Jack informed her. "I stopped by his room after I spoke to Craig, but he wasn't in. So then I went down to the front desk and asked the receptionists and concierge a few questions about what happened between Craig and Dusty the other day. It seems that none of them have seen Dusty in over a week. When I spoke to the maid in charge of his floor, she said that his room looks to have been left untouched for, again; over a week, even though she's been in there every day to see if it needs to serviced."

"Hmm…that's really odd," Margo said. "Obviously that means that he's been out of town. Craig said that he hasn't even tried to get in touch with Johnny since then. Whatever his reasons are, I'm sure they have nothing to do with trying to run away after allegedly throwing a brick at Craig's head. That's not Donovan's style."

"Yeah. Dusty doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would just flee the scene after trying to hurt Craig. If anything, if he'd done it, I would think that he'd do it out in the open and gloat about it to Craig's face simultaneously."

Margo sighed wearily.

"Sad, but true," she admitted. "Still, since he's my brother and all, I'm forced to love him by virtue, _so_ I'm just glad he's okay."

"Right," Jack grinned. "He should be careful though. One more head trauma like that and those last few remaining brain cells won't stand a chance."

Margo gave Jack an insincere glare and playfully swatted him on the arm.

"Alright wise guy. With this being your first day back and all, what do you say we head on over to Al's for lunch? My treat. And in the meantime, you can catch me up on the rollercoaster ride otherwise known as your love life."

Jack groaned.

"I should've known this was coming," he said weakly. He glanced up at the large clock on the wall. "I guess that'll work. I was thinking of stopping by Metro and seeing if I could find out what's going on with Dusty, but they don't open for another forty minutes or so."

"Perfect," Margo said. "I've been craving a burger all morning."

Lily curiously watched Carly as she uneasily gazed over at the counter for the fifth time since they'd sat down at their booth in the small diner about two minutes ago.

"Carly, are you okay?" she asked finally.

Carly turned her attention back to Lily and nodded.

"Sorry. I was just checking on something."

"Whether Janet is here?" Lily guessed.

Carly nodded again.

"She hasn't exactly been too crazy about me lately."

"Lately?" Lily joked.

Carly frowned.

"Yeah, but let's not get into that. It doesn't look like she's here anyway, thank goodness."

"Okay," Lily agreed with a complying smile and looked down at her menu.

After the waitress had taken their order—two house salads—Carly perked up at a thought that had occurred to her.

"Oh!" she exclaimed with a gleam in her eyes, "I have something else for you."

Lily looked at Carly inquisitively as she watched her reach into her purse and pull out a tiny sketchbook and Carly began to speak.

"I was driving home from the grocery store yesterday, and all of a sudden, I had a great design idea for our logo. So I pulled over to the side of the road and sketched it out immediately." She searchingly leafed through the pages as she spoke. "Now, mind you, a steering wheel is hardly the ideal surface for drawing, and this is still a _very _draft." When she'd found what she was looking for, she slid the pad over towards Lily. "What do you think of this?"

Lily examined the penciled illustration with the words "Carly's Closet" etched in big letters on the plain white piece of paper. A bright smile emerged on her face.

"Carly…I _love_ it!" she exclaimed, looking up at her beaming partner.

Carly reached over and turned the page.

"And to go with that…how about this for the shopping bags?" she asked.

"Need I say it?" Lily asked; her smile still as bright. "It's _perfect_! I can't _wait_ to see these in print!"

"Thank you," Carly said graciously, just as she noticed their waitress, Jenny, walking toward their booth with their salads. "Now, let me put that away before any prying eyes fall on it."

She extended her hand for the sketchbook.

"Like Janet?" Lily asked with a chuckle as she handed it over to Carly, who immediately stashed it back into her purse.

"Among others. It's a good thing she's not here. I couldn't wait to show it to you."

They waited until Jenny was out of earshot before resuming their conversation.

"I don't think there's a single design of yours that I've seen so far that I haven't liked," Lily mused. "Although, I have to say: that little strapless black dress you showed me the other day is _hot_. I think those will sell like hot cakes!"

Carly grinned.

"How's the hunt for a textile supplier coming?" she asked.

"I jotted down a few names that I pulled off the internet. The closest one is in Chicago. There's also one in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and Seattle. There are a couple in New York City and a few in Los Angeles and San Diego. Of course we still need to do some more research and…"

Lily trailed off when she noticed that Carly was no longer listening to her. Instead, all of her attention seemed to be fixated toward the glass doors. All it took was for Lily to follow Carly's gaze to figure out what had her so transfixed.

Two of Oakdale's finest had just walked into the diner. Lily immediately waved to the familiar faces. The woman with the short blonde hair returned her wave with a relaxed smile. The tall, brown-haired man accompanying her, however, looked somewhat tense and didn't reciprocate the gesture. It could've been though that he hadn't actually seen it given that his eyes were entirely fixed on the blonde sitting across from her. After a few long seconds of inactivity, Lily wondered if the woman standing by the door felt as isolated in those moments as she did. When she saw the woman finally take initiative and lightly touch the motionless man on the arm to remind him of her presence and move him along, Lily's suspicion was confirmed.

"Carly! Lily!" Margo greeted as she walked over to their booth.

"Hi Margo," Lily replied immediately.

Carly, however, seemed to need a few more moments before she was able to peel her eyes away from the ones they were focused on and acknowledge Margo.

"Hi Margo," she said softly.

"How are you both doing?" Margo asked.

"Good," Lily spoke up again. "Just hungry."

"I hear ya," Margo empathized. "I was just telling Jack a few minutes ago that I've been craving a burger."

By now, Jack had managed to make his way next to his colleague.

"Hi Lily," he smiled.

"Hi Jack," Lily said brightly.

"Hi," he said; his voice significantly lower and quieter as he greeted the long-haired blonde sitting directly before him.

"Hi," she replied in an equally hushed tone, although her eyes indicated that she wanted to say so much more.

Margo looked over at the woman who had just emerged from the kitchen.

"Can we take this booth, Nancy?" she called out, pointing to the one right next to Lily and Carly.

"Sorry Chief, we're a bit short-staffed," the lady apologized. "Go right ahead. I'll be over to take down your orders in a minute."

Carly found the scene before her quite reminiscent of the one at Java Café from a little over a week ago when Jack had walked in while she and Molly had been sitting there having lunch. Of course the company and setting were completely different on each occasion, but there had been an equal awkwardness between her and Jack both times, given that they had both taken place when they'd seen each other after sharing an unexpected kiss. She deduced by his body language that he was having similar thoughts. Suddenly, Carly noticed a flash of gold glimmering against the window pane next to her. She looked at its source.

"Oh my god, Jack!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Are you back on the force?" she asked when she noticed the badge pinned against his belt.

The sudden shift in her demeanor briefly startled Lily and Margo.

Jack couldn't help but smile at her genuine happiness.

"Uh, yeah," he said, looking down at his badge. "Just started again today."

Carly looked at him in confusion.

"So quickly?" she asked. "Doesn't it usually take a while to be officially reinstated?"

Before Jack could respond, Margo jumped in and explained the special circumstances surrounding Jack's case. Carly listened intently; her eyes shifting from Margo's face to Jack's as she did so.

"That's so great. Jack, I'm so happy for you," she said, her expression reflecting her emotions.

"Thanks," he said, unable to resist her unwavering smile.

"And you, Margo. That was a really nice thing you did for him."

Margo accepted the compliment with a smile.

"Are you both ready to order?" Nancy asked from behind.

"Oh, Nancy. Yes," Margo said. She turned to look at Jack. "Shall we?" she asked, tilting her head toward their table.

Jack cleared his throat.

"Oh, um…yeah. Of course," he fumbled.

Margo stifled a laugh when Jack smoothly overtook her and took the seat on the farther end of the booth, leaving Margo with the seat closer to Lily so that their backs were facing each other. This left Jack with access not only to Margo's face, but also to Carly's. Even though they'd come there to catch up and dine together, Margo got the distinct impression that this seating arrangement had little to do with her and a lot more to do with the other blonde sitting behind her.

Once they'd ordered, as predicted, Jack's attention was already lurking back over Margo's shoulder. Of course what Margo couldn't see was that Lily was having to deal with a similar experience over at the next table.

When Margo heard Lily start to say something to Carly, she took the opportunity to lean forward and whisper to Jack.

"Would you like me to switch seats with Carly?" she asked jokingly. "It must frustrating not to have a clear view with me and Lily in the way."

Jack shot her an unamused look. What his chief was unaware of is that he'd positioned himself in such a way that neither she nor Lily were a hindrance in between—no offense to them, of course. Suddenly, repetitive thoughts of how beautiful Carly looked were replaced by one of confusion. She was having lunch with Lily. _Lily_. Jack found the situation odd for two reasons. Firstly, Lily and Carly's friendship had all but disintegrated after the affair with Holden had gone public and despite a few feeble attempts, Jack knew that they had eventually drifted apart. And secondly, Carly was too loyal to Molly to be sitting there chatting it up with Lily, especially when he knew how supportive she was of her cousin's relationship with his cousin. The whole thing just seemed too strange, but Jack chocked it up to the fact that the two women had found a way to make peace. He had to admit that he was happy to see that Carly and Lily had buried the hatchet and decided to move on.

Neither Margo nor Lily could really comment on what they were observing going on between the two long estranged spouses given the proximity of their tables, so they settled for ordinary conversation for the time-being instead. Margo and Jack started to discuss Craig's case more in depth, and Lily and Carly started to talk about Faith's impending return back home. Of course that didn't stop the aforementioned ex-couple from sneaking looks and inadvertently making eye contact with each other the entire time. This went on until Margo and Jack finally stood up from table. Margo once again took it upon herself to approach Lily and Carly.

"Well ladies, we're going to get going. Have a great day," she said with a smile.

"Bye Lily," Jack said, once again addressing her first.

"By Jack," Lily said pleasantly.

"Bye," Jack said again, this time speaking to Carly. Once again, the tone of his voice had decreased considerably, even as his eyes lingered on her face long after he'd spoken.

"Bye," she said, just as softly.

Carly watched as Margo and Jack walked out the door.

Once they were outside, Jack couldn't help but glance through the blinds of the diner at the table he'd just walked away from as they passed by. His eyes met Carly's once more and he took the opportunity to take her in; every second of her that he possibly could while she was still within sight.

"You know, if I'd have known that I'd be getting snubbed for a younger blonde, I would've just come to lunch by myself," Margo quipped.

Jack chuckled.

"What are you talking about? We discussed the case," he said defensively.

"Yeah. But you might as well have been doing it with Carly considering that that's where all your attention was anyway," Margo said with a smirk.

"Please don't start in on me, okay?" Jack half begged.

"Alright, alright," Margo conceded as they continued walking.

Inside the diner, things weren't much different for Carly.

"You know, it's probably a good thing for Jack that his wife isn't working today," Lily said.

"What do you mean?" Carly asked.

Lily looked at Carly incredulously.

"Do you really need me to spell it out for you?" She asked, pausing. "Of course he's not the only one who would've been in trouble," she added slyly.

Carly groaned.

"You're reading too much into things," she said.

Lily was unconvinced but restrained herself.

"Well, it's all subjective, I suppose. Just calling it like I see it," she said with a grin as she picked up her glass and took another sip of her soda.

Lunchtime had been the only other highlight of Jack's first day back on the force since he'd walked into the interrogation that morning and Margo had handed him his gun and his badge. Since then, things had taken a bit of a nosedive. While he had made some progress in Craig's case after he'd visited Metro and obtained an alibi that ruled Dusty out as a suspect, he'd also inadvertently stumbled across some lurid information that had left him stunned and speechless. A dozen emotions swirled around in his head as he drove down the semi-rural road towards his aunt's farm. He'd heard that she was back in town for a day or two, and right now, all he wanted to do was see her, and hug her, and find out how Meg was doing…and maybe hope that she'd had the good sense to whip up a pie on a whim.

Minutes later, Jack walked into the veranda to the sweet aroma of freshly baked apple pie wafting through the air. He pulled open the screen door expecting to be welcomed in by his aunt. Instead, he was caught off-guard by the figure sitting at the dining table.

"Janet," he said, with more than a little surprise.


	12. Hauling out the Trash Bags

_**Author's Note**- Hey you guys(shout-outs to Jess and Allie!). I'm sorry that I haven't posted an update in a long time. I swear, it wasn't meant to be intentional. I've just been going through some really hard stuff recently that made it nearly impossible for me to get into the mindset and concentrate on piecing together a chapter. I've gone into it in more detail over at the CarJack site, so I won't drone on about it again here. Jess- I promise I'm not going to give up on this story until I've seen it through all the way, okay? :) Missed you all!_

_Also, you'll have to forgive me for the amount of CAPS I had to use in this chapter, but given who was talking, I'm sure you'll understand that it was necessary for emphasis ;)_

**CHAPTER TWELVE: HAULING OUT THE TRASH BAGS**

After trying in vain to reach her over the phone for the past week, seeing Janet sitting there in the Snyder farm kitchen—in the flesh—almost felt surreal to Jack. What pushed the experience into bizzarro world, however, was the unexpected manner in which he was greeted by his recently resurfaced wife.

"Hi honey!" Janet squealed, getting up and rushing over to meet him; her large, oversized earrings bouncing to and fro with every ungraceful movement she made toward him. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him into a tight hug. "Mmm, I missed you so much!" she gushed, shaking him fiercely as his arms flailed about helplessly by his sides.

Jack sent a silent prayer of gratitude heavenward when she finally released him from her chokehold just as his air supply dwindled on the verge of asphyxiation. As she walked around him and made her way to the oven, he gently rubbed his abused neck and took in a few quiet gulps of air as his breathing slowly lulled back to normal. There were so many thoughts, so many questions, so many varying emotions floating around aimlessly inside his jumbled mind. How he was going to address and sort them all out, he hadn't a clue. He had just begun to take a crack at it when the scenery before him came into focus and any attempt at forming a coherent thought went flying out the window.

Jack had been so surprised to see Janet there in the kitchen that he had hardly noticed anything else in the background…until now. The entire room had been accented with unlit candles of various shapes, colors, and sizes. The dining table was neatly set for two with a vase of red roses in the middle, bordered by two large red pillar candles on either end. A corked bottle of wine stood next to one of the candles. The entire setting screamed of one word: seduction.

"Look at what I've got," Janet chirped in a sing-song voice, promptly regaining Jack's attention. "Nice and fresh," she said with a proud grin as she held up a steaming hot baking pan of apple pie in her oven-mitted hands.

Jack stared blankly at the dessert.

"You know, we're _definitely_ soulmates or somethin' because I was just about to call you when ya walked through that door," Janet continued blithely as she set the pie down on the kitchen counter and degloved her hands. "I was hopin' for a little more time so that I could fully set up the mood here, but eh, what're you gonna do?," she said with a carefree shrug. "Oh, and wait 'til you see what else is for dessert…and I _don't_ mean the pie," she purred seductively as she stealthily moved towards him.

Jack swallowed hard at the verbal preview. As a husband, he knew that this was his cue to be turned on, and yet, for some reason, that screen door had suddenly started to look very appealing.

"Now, you know that I'm firmly against serving dessert before dinner," Janet prattled on in her most motherly tone as she pinched his cheek, "but since that damned lasagna is taking so long to finish baking, I'll make an exception for tonight. Here," she said, firmly tugging on his hand and dragging him towards the dining table as he rubbed his throbbing cheek with his free palm. "Now, you sit right there," she instructed, jostling him into a chair in front of one of the set places, "and I'll be right back with some nice, warm apple pie for the _best_ husband in the world."

Jack did as ordered; utterly overwhelmed and still at a loss for words.

"Here you are," Janet said, setting down a plate topped with a giant-sized slice of pie, accompanied by a fork before him. There was enough whipped cream clumsily swirled over the top to clog an artery or two. "I hope you like it," she said with a toothy grin that exposed her bulging gums. She sat down across the table from him and reached towards his plate and cut into the slice with the edge of her fork. She scooped a sizable glob of whipped cream along with the piece of pie and brought it to Jack's mouth. "Open up!" she beckoned loudly.

"You know what, Janet. I'm really not that hungry right now," he said unenthusiastically; although the scent of that pie had seemed rather appealing earlier from the veranda when he had still been under the impression that his aunt had returned home.

"Come on, you love apple pie!" she insisted, circling the fork ceaselessly in front of him.

"No, not right now," Jack repeated; shaking his head. "I…"

The combined blend of pie crust, baked apple, and whipped cream that had forcefully been shoved into his mouth prevented him from completing his sentence. He chewed with great difficulty, hoping to ingest every morsel of the oversized mouthful of food as his eyes teared up from his strain to do so. To his relief, he somehow finally succeeded. He looked up to see a wide-eyed Janet staring at him expectantly for approval.

"Mmm…good huh?" she hummed loudly.

Jack mustered his best fake smile and attempted to sell it convincingly with a series of quick nods. Was the heap full of cinnamon supposed to singe his tongue of all sensation, he wondered. All he knew is that one forced forkful was all he could handle for the next few decades. A sheer sense of dread engulfed him when he saw a second loaded forkful approach his vulnerable mouth.

"Open up, big guy," Janet ordered, once again circling a globby mess in front of his face.

"You know what, Janet?" Jack said; this time with a firmness that had been sorely lacking the first time. "Maybe later."

He followed it up with a stiff smile.

At first Janet looked a little hurt and taken aback by his behavior, but then her eyes lit up when she seemed to draw a new conclusion of her own.

"Ohh…I see," she said playfully, her mouth curving into a crooked smile. "You'd rather have the _other_ dessert first!" she finished, surreptitiously sliding her hand over his.

Jack shifted slightly in reaction to the discomfort he was starting to feel as hints of indigestion began to grow inside him. He looked around nervously, hoping to dispel the current situation.

"Where's Emma?" he asked suddenly, grasping for something; anything, to diffuse things.

"Not here," Janet said, still smiling the same crooked smile and methodically stroking the back of his hand; oblivious to the fact that her fake nails were raking over his sensitive skin. "It's just you and me. It's _only_ going to be you and me."

"Wha—um, what do you mean?" Jack asked, pulling his hand away in reaction and immediately needing more information.

"Well," Janet started to explain, "When I got back earlier, Emma was here in the kitchen. I told her how much I missed you and just wanted to spend some time alone with you. She asked if she should make herself scarce and give us a little privacy, bless her heart, and I took her up on it. She even called Holden and told him to make sure we weren't interrupted, isn't that great?" she finished, with what was intended to be a sexy wink, but failed miserably.

"So where's Emma staying?" Jack questioned concernedly.

The totally vacant expression and sloppy fumbling for words that he got in return told Jack that Janet had no idea what Emma's sleeping arrangements were for the night.

"You didn't bother to find out where—let alone if—she had someplace to spend the night?" Jack asked, slightly raising his voice and catching Janet by surprise.

"Well, I figured she had someplace in mind or she wouldn't have agreed to leave us alone," Janet explained, somewhat annoyed.

"_Still_, Janet," Jack continued. "It's common courtesy to at least check and make sure you weren't just putting her out. Emma always puts other people first and hardly thinks about herself. For all we know, she didn't even have a place in mind."

"For your information, she was _more_ than happy to give us some space to work things out and get our marriage back on track. It's not like she's destitute, Jack!" Janet countered defensively.

"That's not the point, Janet," Jack replied. "This is _her_ house. Have you forgotten that if it weren't for her, _we'd_ be destitute?" he asked pointedly.

Janet slammed her palms on the table and stood up abruptly, making her chair creak loudly as it scraped backwards against the floor and almost toppled over in the process. The defiant look on her face told Jack that he had just treaded into murky waters.

"I'm going to check on the lasagna," she said sternly before walking over to the oven.

"Okay," Jack replied, standing up from the table himself—only, in a more dignified manner. "In the meantime, I'm going to check on Emma," he finished dryly as he pulled out his cell phone and walked out to the veranda.

He reemerged into the kitchen a minute later to find Janet plating up two large pieces of lasagna. Jack loved his aunt, but couldn't get off the phone fast enough when she start doling out encouraging words about trying to work on his marriage.

"Turns out she's staying at Lily's to spend some time with the kids," Jack informed her.

"Good," she said, humoring him with a brief response.

"I was actually thinking…" Jack began quietly. "It's probably a good thing that we're alone because we have a lot to talk about."

Janet stared at him for a few moments before exposing a Cheshire cat-like grin that exhibited all her gummy glory.

"I'd like that, because I have sooo much that I want to say to you," she cooed.

Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably; knowing full well that what they both expected to gain out of their impending conversation were two very different things.

"We can talk and eat and eat and talk," Janet declared; carrying over both plates of piping hot lasagna toward the dining table as Jack slowly joined her and slipped into his chair.

Once they both had settled back into their places, however; a long, awkward silence followed. Neither seemed to know quite where or how to begin. Jack took a bite of lasagna and chewed quietly. He grappled with whether the salt content in his dinner itself was excessive, or whether his taste buds were just out of whack. Then he recalled that his lunchtime sandwich at Al's had tasted just fine and was in fact rather delicious, and concluded that it had to be the former. He decided to put aside the mental food critiquing; there were far more pressing matters to attend to at hand.

"Jack, I hope you know how much you mean to me," Janet piped up rather dramatically. She reached out and covered his hand with hers a second time for added emphasis, and Jack momentarily cringed at catching another glimpse of those elongated fingernails. "I want _us_. I want this marriage. I want you to know that I'm in this a hundred percent from now on."

While the declaration itself had come as no surprise to Jack, given all of Janet's actions since he'd walked through the door earlier and leading up until this point, he hadn't anticipated for things to get as incredibly awkward as they were turning out to be. What worsened the situation was that they had only just begun, and as Janet continued what seemed like a previously rehearsed speech, he braced himself for the things that were likely to follow. The sooner it was all weeded out into the open, the better.

"All I've _ever_ wanted was to be a good wife to you," Janet blathered on almost poetically. "You and Libby Lou are the two most important people in my life. And the entire time that I was gone, I kept thinking of how wonderful our future can still be. We can have it all. We can be _so_ happy. We can…"

The more she rambled, the more Jack felt the urge to just blurt it out.

"I kissed Carly."

Janet froze instantaneously. The woman who had sat there and chattered away animatedly for what seemed like an eternity had now suddenly transformed into an ashen statue.

"You…kissed her?" she questioned, her voice low, and her eyes firmly trained on him.

"Yes." he answered plainly.

The honesty felt strangely vindicating and completely right; as if a giant weight had just been lifted off his shoulders.

"When?" she asked, her teeth starting to clench as the news apparently started to sink in.

"Three different times."

"_Three_ different times?" she repeated, teeth clenched all the way now and her eyes widening with a mixture of surprise and building anger.

Jack simply nodded.

"Once before Katie's goodbye party, once after, and once the night of the charity benefit," he elaborated.

"I see." Her eyes seemed to drain of all surprise and now only flickered angrily. "Did you do anything more than that?" she asked heatedly, challenging him to look at her as he responded.

"No," he said, squarely meeting her eyes and assessing by the expression on her face that despite all the apparently bubbling rage, that she seemed to believe him.

"But I bet you wanted to, right?" she prodded coldly, her voice starting to raise half an octave. "After all, you _were _roomies for over a month. She probably wanted it too. I wouldn't be surprised if she paraded around the house half-naked most of the time and tried to get you in the sack."

That did it. Every time Jack had played out how his confession to Janet would go in his mind, he had always seen himself remaining calm; he had vowed to remain calm throughout the entire exchange.

"This isn't on Carly!" he snapped. "_I'm_ the one who kissed her. _I'm_ the one who wanted it. You want to blame someone? Blame me."

Janet let out a shrill laugh.

"Oh, I _do_ blame you!" she yelled. "I blame you a whole HELL of a lot!"

Jack could feel the storm clouds gathering overhead. Janet stood up and kicked her chair aside.

"You know what? I just lost my appetite!" she announced bitterly as she first picked up her plate and then reached over and picked up his virtually untouched one from across the table.

She stomped over to the garbage can by the sink and contemptuously scraped off the contents from both plates with a fork one after the other; slamming the cutlery into the sink after doing so. Jack observed the tirade quietly before standing up and walking over to face her from the other side of the counter. Thank God for that counter.

"Janet, calm down," he said; verbalizing the first thought that entered his mind.

Janet paused momentarily before sharply turning on her heel. The look on her face was murderous.

"Ohhhh, you did _NOT_ just ask me to calm down! I _WON'T_ calm down!" she bellowed. "You just tell me that you've been kissing your ex-wife behind my back, and you expect me to 'CALM THE HELL DOWN'?"

Though it was an opportune moment to turn the 'behind my back' comment back on her, based on some information he'd learned himself, Jack decided to resist bringing that up for the time-being. All would be revealed in due course. Right now, he had every intention of maintaining his cool.

"Next you'll be telling me that you're still in love with her!" Janet went on; her eyes still dancing ferociously.

One look reflected from his eyes was all it took to change a fleeting accusation into stone cold reality.

"OH. MY. GOD! YOU'RE STILL IN LOVE WITH HER, AREN'T YOU?" she thundered.

"Yes."

The unapologetic and calm manner in which he had confirmed her question only seemed to fuel her wrath further.

"Then why the HELL did you marry me?" she snarled; resentfully enunciating each word.

This time, he had no response. Janet, however, had plenty to say.

"You know, Katie _warned_ me about you but I didn't listen to her," she said; pointing an accusatory finger at him. "She told me that sooner or later, you'd go running back to Carly. After all, who knew that better than her, right? Isn't that what happened with your first wife too? Word around town is that your little sideline affair with Carly was what drove her off the deep end and sent her to the nuthouse. What'd you do? Have a talk with her about how you suddenly realized that you still loved your precious Carly too?"

Another wordless stare from Jack answered her question. Janet laughed haughtily and shook her head in disbelief.

"You are somethin' else, you know that? You walk around Oakdale as if you're this stand-up guy who always does the right thing and puts everyone else before himself. Jack Snyder, the good cop. Jack Snyder, the good husband. Jack Snyder, the good father. But underneath it all, you're just a selfish man who lies and manipulates those around him to get what he wants. All those vows you took standing there before me, all those promises you made…they were all empty words, weren't they? What was I; your rebound to get over Carly just like Katie and that Julia woman? Didn't you learn _anything_ from your failed marriages?"

Jack listened silently as she stripped his character piece by piece.

"I'm trying to make things right here, Janet. I'm not expecting you to forgive me at all. Hell, I wouldn't hold it against you if you slapped me with divorce papers and never even wanted to speak to me again."

Janet glowered at him. Slowly, the tears began to flow.

"I can't believe this," she cried. "My marriage—my entire marriage has been a sham."

Jack didn't contest the conclusion.

"At least I know now," Janet sobbed.

"I just want us to be completely honest with each other. It's past overdue, don't you think?"

Janet shot Jack an indignant look. She swiped at her face and extinguished every trace of any tears she had just shed.

"What do _I_ need to be honest about?" she asked; as if it was the most ridiculous question she'd ever been asked in her entire life.

There was a pause as Jack stared at her for a few moments before making his response.

"Dusty, maybe...?"

Jack studied her carefully as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other and briefly looked away from him. All those years of conducting hundreds of interrogations as a detective always came in handy at times like this when a person's body language and facial expressions gave away so much more than their words ever did.

"I already _told_ you that I kissed Dusty on Christmas Eve," Janet replied after a short pause.

"So, that's it? It only happened once?" he asked, maintaining his calm and narrowing his eyes on her.

Janet indignantly placed a hand on her hip, although Jack could clearly read the insecurity in her eyes and voice.

"_Why_ are you making this about me and Dusty? I already told you everything that happened! This whole conversation was about you and your undying obsession with your ex-wife!"

"If we're going to talk about me kissing Carly," Jack remarked, "then I think it's just as fair to talk about your kissing Dusty. This honesty thing, Janet; it needs to go both ways."

"_God!_" Janet yelled, clasping her head frustratedly with both hands, "how many times do I have to say it? I already told you everything!"

Jack stared at her and nodded thoughtfully.

"You did. You told me about the first time you both kissed…but what about all the times after that?"

Janet looked about ready to jump over the counter separating them and strangle Jack. The threat of a second asphyxiation momentarily terrified him.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she spat out venemously.

"Oh, I think you do," he countered, still maintaining his calm. "So does Dusty's private jet pilot and half the staff at the Hyatt Regency in Miami."

Janet's eyes widened in astonishment.

"I'm guessing by the look on your face that there's some truth to that," Jack said with a wry smile as Janet looked on. "And you're probably wondering how I know all about it. Don't worry, I won't keep you waiting. See, I'd been trying to reach you these past few days on your cell phone, but you weren't returning any of my calls. So, I got your aunt and uncle's number from Teri—who apparently was also under the impression that you were there visiting them—but when I spoke to your uncle, he told me that he hadn't seen you in years. Anyway, I put that to the back of my mind for a while. Margo pulled some strings and got me my job back on the force and assigned me to a case. It turned out that someone threw a brick through Craig's windshield at the Lakeview, but he didn't get a good look at the attacker. He seemed convinced that it was Dusty. Now, I know that that's hardly Dusty's style—attacking someone and then running off—but I needed an alibi to rule him out as a suspect. So I went to Metro this afternoon and spoke to one of the waiters. The guy said that he hadn't seen Dusty since last Thursday; exactly the same day that you left town. I hadn't completely put it together at that point. But when I got in touch with his pilot, and had to threaten him for obstructing the truth from a cop, I learned that he'd flown two people: Dusty and a red-headed woman, things started falling into perspective. When I contacted the airfield here in Oakdale, they gave me the destination of Dusty's jet, and when I contacted the airfield in Miami, one of the attendants told me that he'd loaded your luggage into the airport shuttle cab. Fortunately, he knew the cab driver, so he gave me his contact information. When I contacted him, he distinctly remembered this couple getting very 'frisky'—his words exactly—in the back seat. He remembered dropping them off at the Hyatt Regency. When I called them, they confirmed seeing Dusty there with a red-headed woman and it only makes sense that it was the same one. The hotel receptionist assumed that the two of you were there on your honeymoon. In any case, room service was able to verify that they'd brought up some champagne to your room around the time that Craig was attacked, so that ruled Dusty out as an alibi. So, in the end, the investigation knocked Dusty off our suspect list, but it also occurred to me that not only could my wife have just as easily provided him with an alibi—but that she probably provided him with a whole lot more than that behind the closed doors of that hotel room. What confirmed things beyond a fact is that the concierge had specifically heard Dusty refer to this woman by the name of 'Janet.'"

The woman who had ranted and raved non-stop about all his sins had suddenly grown speechless; providing the room with a blissful silence. Jack relished in it for a few moments before continuing on.

"So, are you still going to claim that all you and Dusty did was kiss that one time, or are you ready to lay all the cards out on the table?"

He watched as Janet's entire facial expression went through a series of motions. She paused; apparently wrestling with her thoughts before opening her mouth to speak.

"Well, looks like you get an A-plus for doing your homework" she said sarcastically as she folded her arms. "But it still doesn't let you off the hook about what you've been doing with Carly."

"I know it doesn't," Jack admitted readily. "That's why I want us both to be honest with each other."

"HA!" Janet shrieked, piercing his eardrums. It seemed he'd really struck a nerve with that one. "YOU AND YOUR DAMN HONESTY! THAT'S RICH COMING FROM THE MOST DISHONEST MAN I KNOW!"

Jack looked at her questioningly.

"OH, DON'T LOOK SO SURPRISED!" she bellowed.

"Janet, can you please lower your voice?" Jack requested.

He didn't see why the poor cows, sheep, chickens, and horses out in the barn across the farm had to pay for the wrath of his transgressions.

"OH, SHUT UP! YOU HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT DISHONEST SINCE THE DAY WE TOOK OUR VOWS—HELL, YOU'VE BEEN NOTHING BUT DISHONEST SINCE THE DAY YOU FIRST MENTIONED CARLY!"

Those poor, poor animals, Jack thought.

"How have I been 'dishonest'?" he asked, hoping that his tone suited for polite human conversation would somehow rub off on her. He quickly realized that wishful thinking doesn't always work.

"OUR WHOLE MARRIAGE HAS BEEN A LIE! YOUR WHOLE MARRIAGE TO KATIE WAS A LIE! YOUR MARRIAGE TO THAT NUTCASE—WHAT'S HER FACE—, WAIT FOR…WAS A DAMN LIE! ALL YOU'VE EVER DONE IS USE OTHER WOMEN TO COVER UP THE FACT THAT YOU'VE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO STOP LOVING CARLY!"

Janet's words, no matter how hate-filled, suddenly felt like a huge wake-up call.

"ALTHOUGH, WHY YOU CAN'T STOP LOVING THAT _TRAMP_ IS BEYOND ME!"

Jack could hardly process the epiphany when Janet's very next sentence sent him over the edge.

"DON'T CALL HER THAT!"

For the first that night, the level of his voice had matched her.

"Oh, did I strike a nerve?" Janet asked, now contrastingly lowering her tone and accompanying her question with an intentionally wicked smile.

"Listen, you want to be mad at me? Go ahead. You want to call me every bad name in the book? I won't stop you. I probably deserve it. But leave her out of it."

Janet let out another one of her bat-awakeningly shrill laughs.

"Oh, please! If you're going to drag Dusty into this conversation, I can sure as hell drag _your_ lover into it!"

"She's not my 'lover', Janet. You want to know what the difference is between Carly and Dusty? He's willingly been having an affair with a married woman. Carly, on the other hand, has done nothing but push me away. You wanna lay blame? There are three guilty parties here, and she isn't one of them."

This time Janet cackled at what she'd just heard.

"'An affair'? This, coming from the man who has had an 'affair' with every one of his wives whose name isn't Carly. Sure, let's talk about my 'affair'—but if we're going to talk about me and Dusty, we're sure as hell going to talk about _your_ '_affairs_.'"

Jack distinctly heard a hiss as she punctuated the 's' at the end of her rant.

"Okay, I confess, Detective, that Dusty and I were having an affair—a physical affair. Everything from kissing to having sex. You wanna know when it first started? New Years' Eve."

She had apparently caught the look of surprise that had crept up on his face.

"That's right. The night that you were supposed to meet _me_, and instead, went off on your little rescue mission to save _her_ and left me to drink away my sorrows all alone. Dusty came by, we got to talking and one thing led to another, and before I knew it, there I was, lying naked in bed with him. And you know what? He was pretty damn good!"

Jack shuddered at the inapproprite image. He knew that it was intended to sting him, but he was strangely reacting to it in a much different light than a man scorned. If Janet knew of his line of thinking, she would've been more furious than she already was.

"So, while you may have only kissed her three times…you've been having an emotional affair with her since _long_ before Dusty and I ever hit the sheets!"

In addition to his confession of the three actual kisses he'd shared with Carly, Jack wondered if all their almost kisses counted as well. He decided that it would be against his better judgment to mention it now, given the wrath he was already experiencing.

"How's _that_ for 'honesty'?" Janet grunted. "As for Dusty, I was going to tell you about it!" she finished.

Jack hesitantly tore his mind away from the blonde who had taken over every sweet dream he had recently and focused his attention on the fuming, cherry red face staring at him with a shade that nearly matched the hairs on her head. It seemed like Janet hadn't even realized that she'd contradicted herself only minutes earlier when she'd vehemently maintained that all she and Dusty had ever done was kiss once.

"Then what's all this about, Janet?" Jack asked, waving his forefinger through the contents of the room. "The candles, the red roses, the wine, the intimate place-setting for a dinner for two?"

Once again Janet had been rendered speechless, so Jack took it upon himself to continue.

"Was this your way of telling me? Or was I never supposed to find out since you and Dusty ended things in Miami?"

Janet looked shell-shocked.

"Dusty's pilot told me that he came back on his jet alone," he explained.

Janet started to speak but Jack cut her off.

"And please don't tell me that you broke things off with him because you suddenly decided you wanted to work on our marriage. I already know it wasn't. Actually, I'd rather not even go there. One affair is bad enough..."

Before he could fully elaborate, it was now her turn to interrupt, and the yelling once again commenced.

"PFFFFT! I DON'T HAVE TO STAND HERE AND TAKE ANY MORE OF THIS GARBAGE! CONSIDER THIS MARRIAGE OVER!"

A small pause filled the room.

"Okay. I'll have the divorce papers drawn up," Jack said, not wanting to delay the inevitable.

"SO YOU CAN TELL EVERYONE THAT YOU DUMPED ME? NOT HAPPENING, BUB!"

"Listen, Janet, you can tell everyone in Oakdale that you dumped me, it really doesn't matter to me. I'm just trying to make it easier for you. Tom Hughes is a friend of mine. He'll make sure that this is handled in a dignified manner."

Janet huffed as she contemplated the offer.

"Fine!" she agreed, "but I'm not staying here a moment longer."

"Where are you going to go?" Jack asked.

"I don't know, but I'm not staying under the same roof as YOU!" she spat out.

"Janet, I'm not staying here, remember? I'm still at the Lakeview. Why don't you stay here until you find another place and then you can move out."

"HA! I DON'T NEED YOUR DAMN CHARITY!"

She walked over and opened the cabinet under the sink and retrieved a handful of rolled up trash bags.

"I'll go stay with Teri. Here," she said, tossing a few of the trash bags over to his side of the kitchen counter. "I'm going upstairs to gather up all my stuff. It's a good thing that I didn't unpack my suitcase yet. I just have to pack up the rest of my stuff. While I'm doing that, why don't you put all my pots and pans into these?"

"Okay," Jack agreed quietly as she stalked off up the stairs.

Ten minutes later, after a lot of thumping, thudding, and crashing overhead—which Jack chocked up to a release of frustrations as she packed her things—he heard the sound of heavy footsteps making their way down the stairs. The door opened and Janet emerged clutching the handle of her suitcase in one hand and holding two trash bags filled with clothes in the other hand.

Jack stood up from his chair at the dining table.

"That's everything," he said, pointing to the three large trash bags full of pots and pans that sat by the door.

"Good," she said curtly.

"Need any help?"

"Fine," she said, as if the question were a burden and trudged out the door; nose held high in the air.

Jack walked over, picked up the heavy trash bags, and followed her to the car.

Once everything was loaded, he walked over to where she stood by the driver's side door.

"Janet—" he began.

"STUFF IT!" she bit out as she climbed into her seat and shut the door. Then, remembering something, she rolled down her window. "Oh, and you might want to go and clean up upstairs," she added quickly before rolling the window back up.

Jack watched as the jalopy sputtered and clunked out the driveway and soon disappeared out of view. He made his way up the stairs and opened the door to the bedroom. Shock spread through him at the sight before him. His CDs lay strewn all over the floor; most of the cases cracked and discs shattered. His CD player looked like it had been clobbered repeatedly with a hammer; exposing all the gadgets within. There was a large hole in the center of the TV screen, which also looked like it had fallen victim to the hammer that he now saw laying on the ground. His clothes were scattered across the room; some on the bed and some on the ground. There appeared to be long streaks of red splattering all over them, which upon closer inspection appeared to be permanent hair color doused all over them. Virtually everything he owned, except for the clothes that were still safe at the Lakeview, were ruined beyond usage. He collapsed on the small empty space on the bed and witnessed the destruction around him. Over one of the clothes piles, he noticed a green sweater that had been stripped of some of its yarn and cut with scissors. He could roughly make out the face of a cartoonish, cheesy-looking reindeer that was missing a large, bulbous red nose. It was a small consolation, but at least there was one article of clothing that he wasn't going to miss.


	13. A Taste of Success

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN: A TASTE OF SUCCESS**

"Ugh! I wish this damn phone would ring already!" Lily groused as she glanced down at the cell phone resting on the dining table. "I'm about to go insane!"

"I know. I'm so incredibly nervous! I don't know how much more of this suspense I can take!" Carly replied. "More scrambled eggs?" she asked, gesturing to a large bowl; one of many sitting on the wooden surface.

"Are you kidding?" Lily laughed. "_Look_ at all this food! If I serve myself any more, I'll explode!"

Carly frowned slightly.

"I guess I went a little overboard, didn't I?" she asked sheepishly; glossing over the cluster of large serving dishes and platters in front of her.

"'A little'? Lily repeated with a chuckle. "Carly, there's enough food left over here to feed an entire platoon!"

They were sitting at the dining table at Milltown with a wide array of breakfast items spread out before them: scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, English muffins, and pancakes and blueberry muffins—made from scratch. Given another sleepless night that consisted of a lot of tossing, turning, and starting at the ceiling; Carly had come downstairs from her bedroom at the break of dawn and gotten an early start on what was originally intended to be a simple breakfast for four. Typically, that list consisted of three people: her, Parker, and Sage; but given that she had invited Lily over the night before, she'd intended to make slightly larger portions to accommodate an extra person. However, her anxiety over this impending phone call had led her to believe that busying herself with cooking would at least temporarily remedy her edgy nerves, and before she knew it, she was setting down a smorgasbord of food on her dining table.

When they'd come down to eat before heading off to school, Parker and Sage had looked at her with matching expressions of confusion as they'd inquired her about the enormous quantities of food they found waiting for them. She'd explained it away by mentioning that Lily was coming over for some girl talk and that all the exertion from exchanging gossip would only increase their appetites for a larger breakfast. Lame excuse, she knew, but to her relief, the kids didn't question her about any further as they left for school.

"Do you realize how many breakfasts, lunches, and dinners we've had together over the past week?" Carly mused as she took a sip of her morning coffee.

"Mmm. It's almost romantic, isn't it?" Lily joked as she buttered half an English muffin.

Carly stifled her laughter to keep from spewing coffee all over her new white woolen sweater.

"The word 'romance' has almost entirely faded away from my dictionary," she replied, crinkling her nose.

"Tell me about it! It's almost become a swear word in mine," Lily added sullenly.

"Well, this business opportunity couldn't have come at a more perfect time," Carly said thoughtfully. "And it's all thanks to you. Hopefully it'll take our minds off of all the other complications in our lives and help us focus on the things that are really important: our kids and our careers."

"Amen," Lily agreed, raising her coffee mug and clinking it with Carly's in a toast. There was a slight hesitation in her demeanor as she set it back down. "Carly, I've been meaning to ask you something," she said quietly.

Carly knew by the expression on Lily's face that the upcoming question wasn't breakfast or business related.

"Shoot," she encouraged.

"Be honest with me, okay?" Lily asked with a distinct seriousness in her eyes. "Has it been weird at all working with me? I mean, you know, since Molly is with Holden now, and I know how close the two of you are."

Carly didn't have to think very hard at all about her answer.

"You know, I love my cousin very much. In fact, Molly is more like a sister to me than a cousin; so yeah, of course we're very close. But, not that long ago, you and I were really close too. And I know that I was partially responsible for ruining our friendship," she continued; feeling a twinge of guilt. She pushed it aside and smiled genuinely. "But hanging out with you this past week…it's been really great. It's reminded me so much of the good old days."

"Me too," Lily said, returning the smile. "I've missed the way things used to be. But I think we both needed that time away from each other. Time to heal. Time to forgive. Time to learn how to be friends again."

"Yeah," Carly agreed. "So, to fully answer your question…no, it's not at all weird working with you because of Molly and Holden. The only thing that worries me though is how she's going to react when she finds out that I kept our partnership a secret from her."

Lily sighed deeply.

"I'm sorry. I know that it isn't easy keeping it from her, but trust me: it's for the best…at least for the time being. Besides, I have a feeling that she'll understand."

"I hope so," Carly said, looking a little concerned. She decided to steer the conversation in a different direction. "I wish Liz had specified a time for when she'd call. I mean, 'morning' can refer to any time from now until one minute before noon, and I seriously think I'll have a breakdown if I have to wait that long."

"Ditto," Lily agreed. "Let's see. We know that she presented the owners with all the offers last night. So, I guess how soon she calls us today depends on whether they already informed her of their decision last night, or whether they decided to sleep on it and let her know sometime this morning. Of course if it's the latter, then we'll probably have to wait a little longer."

Just then, one of the cell phones sitting on the table started to ring, startling both women who sat up with a start. Carly looked over expectantly as Lily glanced down at the screen. She shook her head, indicating that it wasn't the call they were waiting for.

"Hi Emma. Is everything, okay?" Lily asked.

Carly eased herself back into her chair as Lily spoke to her ex mother-in-law.

"It's in the third cabinet from the left, right above the stove. It might be all the way in back because I haven't used it in a while." She paused. "No problem. Okay, bye."

She hung up and looked over at Carly.

"Emma," she said, setting the phone back down on the table. "The kids want Cinnamon French Toast for breakfast and she couldn't find the cinnamon bottle."

Carly looked confused.

"Emma's back?"

Lily nodded. Carly noticed her shift uncomfortably in her seat.

"Why isn't she staying at the farm?" she asked.

Lily sighed. Something about her expression told Carly that her response wasn't exactly going to be a positive one.

"Well, I didn't quite know whether to tell you or not, but I guess I'll have to now…"

"Lily, what is it?" Carly asked impatiently.

"She stayed at my place last night because she wanted to spend some time with the kids." Carly couldn't see what the negative was so far, but Lily looked tentative as she continued. "…And to give Jack and Janet some privacy at the farm," she finished.

"'Privacy?'" Carly uttered.

Lily nodded again.

"Apparently Janet had planned a romantic dinner for Jack at the farm and she was hoping to have the place all to themselves for the night," Lily explained, almost looking guilty for having to be the involuntary bearer of bad news.

Despite everything she'd said to Jack and all the encouragement she'd given him to smooth things over with Janet, Carly couldn't help the mixture of jealousy and panic that suddenly raged inside her.

"Janet's back in town?" she asked, trying with all her might to maintain a level of normalcy.

"Yeah."

"And..?" Carly asked, a little too hastily.

"I don't know," Lily said shaking her head. "That's pretty much all Emma said."

"Oh."

At this point, Carly could feel herself slowly lose control over her facial expressions.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said, trying to paste on her most convincing smile; although she knew she was failing miserably.

"Carly, I thought that in addition to working as business partners, we were also working at being friends again," Lily said gently.

"We are," Carly said, trying to reign in her emotions.

"Okay, so then you know that you can talk to me about anything. We used to be able to do it before, and I'm hoping that we can slowly get back there again."

"Me too," Carly admitted; finally being able to produce an honest smile.

"So, pour your heart out. What's going on with you and Jack?"

Carly stared at Lily for a few moments as she contemplated where exactly to begin. Finally heaving a deep breath, she began to recount details of what had taken place between her and Jack over the last few weeks. Lily listened patiently as she spoke; her demeanor reminding Carly of the days of old and the familiar pattern of ease that had once existed between them. When Carly was done, Lily sat very still as she processed all the information.

"Well, that explains all those sparks I saw flying between the two of you at Al's yesterday," she said thoughtfully. "I mean, he couldn't keep his eyes off of you…and if I'm being honest, _you_ couldn't keep your eyes off him either," she said with a small smile.

Carly's brief smile in return faded away as quickly as it had appeared on her face—lasting only a fraction of a second.

"I guess none of it meant anything. After all, it seems he's back together with Janet."

Lily looked at Carly sympathetically.

"Molly, we really shouldn't do this," Holden implored as she dragged him by the hand through the front door and into the Snyder farm veranda. "Listen, Jack will fill me in on what happened between him and Janet himself when he's ready, and then I promise that I'll tell you all about it."

Molly whirled around and pointed an accusing finger at him.

"Right! Except that _you_ might take your own sweet time doing so!" she snapped. "I _still_ can't believe you waited until this morning to tell me why you _really _stayed over last night!"

"Okay, so a part of it might've been because Mama asked me to stay away from here," Holden confessed, "but Molly, I really _did _want to spend the night with you. And from what I remember, you were quite happy that I did too," he added with a sly grin.

Molly stared at him seriously; clearly unmoved by the innuendo.

Holden sighed in defeat.

"Listen, you and I _both_ know that Jack wants to be with your cousin. We just have to trust that he did the right thing."

"Well, since we're already here, we might as well find out for ourselves," Molly stated determinedly as she turned on her heel and walked past the second screen door with Holden in tow.

The fact that it was unlocked clearly meant that someone was in the house; somewhere.

"Hello? Anyone here?" she called from the kitchen entrance and into the general proximity of the lower level of the house. There was no response.

Molly surveyed the empty room. Her eyes froze when they landed on the unused candles spread out around the dining table area. They then traveled to the vase of red roses and the bottle of uncorked wine sitting next to it. The setting was definitely arranged with the intention of evoking some romance. She glared at Holden.

"Do you see all this, Holden?" she asked sharply as she waved a finger into the thin air around the set up, "the woman clearly _planned _to seduce the hell out of him."

"It doesn't mean she succeeded," Holden reasoned. "Can we _please_ give Jack the benefit of the doubt?" he beseeched. "He's been pretty clear that he intended to end his marriage as soon as he had a chance to talk to Janet."

"Yeah, well, the last time he told Carly he loved her and she turned him down, he ended up proposing to the woman in record time," Molly spat out. "I'm not giving him the 'benefit of the doubt' until I know for sure that he dumped that big-haired, loud-mouthed floozy!" she declared resolutely as she walked over and yanked open the door that led to the second floor.

With a sigh, Holden followed her up the stairs.

"Anyone here?" Molly called out once she'd reached the upstairs landing.

She heard a clanging noise coming from a room down the hall.

"In here," Jack's voice called out from the other side of the partially open door.

A sense of dread came over Molly as she realized that he was in the bedroom; his and Janet's bedroom. She wondered if that was a sign that he'd likely spent the night there and hadn't returned to his room at the Lakeview. The most probable scenario playing inside her mind wasn't a good one. When she reached the room, she slowly pushed the door open; bracing herself as she did so.

"Oh my god!" she exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock. "What the _hell_ happened here?"

Just then Holden walked up behind her.

"What the..?" was all he could manage to say as he too wore the same shocked expression as Molly.

Jack was sitting on the ground with a completely dismantled DVD player in front of him. The entire room and all its contents looked like they'd been through a terrifying state of abuse.

"Hi," he said, looking up at them; a weak smile on his face.

"Did you do this?" Molly asked incredulously.

"Of course not," Jack said with a frown.

"It looks like you were visited by the Tasmanian Devil," she remarked as she slowly stepped into the room; making sure her long heels avoided the fragments of debris scattered all over the floor.

"Were you robbed?" Holden asked simultaneously.

"Um, no," Jack answered; shaking his head.

"Then _what _the hell happened?" Holden asked. "Who did this?"

Jack sighed wearily.

"Janet."

"_Janet_ did this?" Molly asked, her eyes still roaming all over the room as she observed continued to take in all the destruction. "What a bitch!"

Jack and Holden looked at her, both of them taken aback. Molly took it as a good sign that Jack made no attempt to retaliate or defend his wife. Holden quickly turned his attention back to Jack.

"So, I'm guessing you told her everything?" he asked.

Jack nodded. He looked completely exhausted and overwhelmed.

"Didn't go so well, huh?" Holden added; lamely stating the obvious.

"Ya _think_?" Molly blurted out. She looked down at Jack. "And by 'everything', we _are_ talking about you and Carly, right?" she asked, unable to hide her eagerness.

Jack stared at Molly for a moment as he contemplated whether or not to divulge his reasons to her. Almost immediately he realized that he had nothing to hide.

"Yeah," he said softly.

He knew that between her closeness to Carly and Holden, she was already fully in the loop anyway. Besides, as far as he was concerned, his love for Carly was no longer a secret.

"So, it's over then? The marriage?" Holden asked.

"Yeah. She packed up all her stuff and left after I told her last night…and in the process, you can see what happened to my things."

Molly literally squealed at the news; a huge grin spreading across her face. Holden and Jack looked at her; once again taken aback. She instantly realized that her display of excitement might have come across as insensitive.

"_So_ sorry about your stuff, Jack," she said; half sincerely, and half feigning disappointment.

"Thanks Mol," Jack said; wondering if a 'thanks' was even the right response given his current predicament.

"Um, you know what, I think I'm going to head out," Molly said at once as started heading towards the door.

Holden looked surprised.

"But, you don't have to be at work for nearly another hour," he said, glancing down at his wristwatch. "Why don't we all go downstairs and have some coffee?"

"No!" she said immediately. "I think you should stay here and help Jack clean up. I'm, uh…I'll just grab a cup on the way _somewhere_," she said, giving Holden a quick peck on the lips and hurrying out of the room. The men heard her footsteps diminish as she scurried down the hall.

"You know where she's off to, right?" Holden asked with a smirk.

Jack gave a small smile and nodded.

"Carly's."

Suddenly something dawned on Holden.

"Should I go after her?" he asked abruptly. "I mean, if you want to be the one to tell Carly that the marriage is over, I'll go stop her."

Jack shook his head.

"No, it's fine. It doesn't really matter how she finds out as long as she does. I'm going to stop by and talk to her about later it today anyway, but I think the sooner she knows about it, the better. It's probably a good thing if she has some time to absorb the news before I go over."

"And the more she thinks about it, the more she'll realize that you're serious about wanting to get back together this time?" Holden deduced with a knowing smile.

"Something like that," Jack said, offering a smile of his own.

Holden turned his attention back to the damage around him.

"Wow, I didn't realize that Janet could be this violent," he remarked as he bent down and began gathering up shards of glass from the shattered CD cases.

"Neither did I," Jack said shaking his head despondently. "Thank goodness for that kitchen counter last night. If I hadn't been standing on the other side of it when we really got into it, I don't think it's just my stuff that would've taken a beating."

Holden couldn't control the chuckle that escaped him, and soon that chuckle erupted into a fit of laughter.

"I'm sorry, I am," he apologized amidst the laughter, "it's just that it made me picture Janet brandishing a rolling pin and chasing you around the counter. It's a pretty scary image."

Jack glared at his cousin and chucked half of a broken DVD at him.

A chime from Carly's phone interrupted her ongoing conversation with Lily. She smiled as she looked down at the screen.

"What is it?" Lily asked.

"It's a text message from Neal. He called me last night to see how things were coming along with acquiring the lease and I told him that we'd found out today. He wishes us good luck and wants me to let him know how the phone call with Liz goes."

"He's so sweet," Lily said.

"Yeah, he is," Carly agreed with a small smile.

There was an unmistakable gleam in Lily's eyes and Carly could already anticipate what was coming next.

"You know he still has a thing for you, right?" Lily asked.

"What?" Carly said nervously. "No he doesn't."

"Oh come on, Carly," Lily countered. "Have you seen the way he looks at you? I mean, the guy _adores_ you."

"Lily, I like Neal," Carly explained. "He's a sweet guy, and he's been a really good friend to me. I enjoy spending time with him. But as far as anything more goes…I just don't see it happening."

"Well, either way, Janet or no Janet, it'll drive Jack insane just seeing the two of you together. I remember how jealous he was when he found out about your first date with Neal a couple of years ago."

"Wait, what?" Carly asked in confusion.

"Oh, you didn't know?" Lily asked.

"No," Carly replied.

"You remember when Neal first asked you out and you guys went out for lunch? I guess Jack had walked into the house right before you guys were about to leave..?"

"Oh yeah," Carly said, recollecting the event.

"Well, he immediately hoofed it over to my place; steam practically coming out his ears, and read me the riot act for setting you up with another man."

"But, we weren't even together at the time," Carly said reflectively. "I remember him waiting for me when I got home and we really got into it."

"What does that tell you?" Lily said with a hinting smile.

"That Jack can be a complete ass sometimes?"

Lily laughed and shook her head.

"That no matter what, whether he admits it or not, the man loves you! I guess he doesn't quite know how to express it when he's in denial, so he comes off sounding like a possessive jerk when he gets jealous. But, underneath it all, I think he still thinks of you as his, which is why it's so hard for him to see you with anyone else."

Carly grew somber.

"Well, given that he's now back together with his _wife_, he has absolutely _NO_ right to tell me who I can and cannot see," she said coldly.

The same ringtone that had sounded earlier when Emma had called, began to play again and both women immediately redirected their attention to the dining table. Each looked at the other with wide eyes that teemed of anticipation. Lily swiftly looked down at the screen and back up at Carly.

"It's Liz," she said before promptly answering the call. "Hello?"

Carly leaned forward in her chair; watching and listening intently at Lily's end of the conversation.

"Hi Liz…I'm good, how are you?...Good…I see…Uh-huh…Oh, I see…Okay, I understand…Thank you so much…Bye."

"Well?" Carly asked expectantly, even before Lily had hung up.

Lily calmly placed the phone down and looked at Carly. The expression on her face was unreadable.

"So, when are you free to go pick up the to our keys new boutique?" she asked, breaking out into a huge grin.

Carly's eyes widened again.

"Oh my god! Does this mean..? Are you saying..?" she asked incredulously.

Lily nodded enthusiastically; the grin still firmly plastered on her face.

"It's all ours!" she exclaimed happily.

"Oh my god, Lily, I can't believe this is happening!" Carly said, her entire face filled with pure glee.

Suddenly she stopped short and looked at Lily in puzzlement.

"Wait a minute. Why was that phone call so short? Shouldn't she have gone over the procedures with us now that we've secured the lease?"

"Oh, she had an important call on the other line. She said she'd call us right back."

The recent smile on Carly's face instantly returned.

Both women cheered with delight and simultaneously got up from their chairs to meet halfway and embraced excitedly. To the general public, they may have looked like two giddy little schoolgirls who'd just been asked out to the prom by two of the hottest guys in school, but in those moments, neither seemed to care how ridiculous they looked as they celebrated their first major step to success.

Molly made her way through the narrow walkway and arrived on the front porch outside the house. Sounds of joyful laughter wafted into her ears from the other side of the door. One of the voices sounded distinctly her cousin; the other one, she couldn't quite place. Molly bubbled with excitement at the prospect of adding more happiness to what seemed like her cousin's already cheery mood. That, and the curiosity to find out who Carly was sharing all this laughter with, prompted her to waltz right in without ringing the doorbell. What she saw when she walked in left her stunned and speechless. Carly was standing by the dining table, her arms tightly wrapped around the one woman in town she made an effort to avoid. Lily, for her part, was returning the hug. Her eyes glanced over at the large dishes and platters of breakfast items; two coffee cups sat on opposite sides of the table. It didn't take a genius to figure out who had partaken in what looked like an ultimate morning feast.

"Hi Cuz," Carly said, looking a bit startled, as she and Lily pulled away.

"Hi Molly," Lily added, a clear hint of discomfort on her face.

Molly tried to maintain her composure.

"Hi. What's going on here?" she asked.

Carly hesitated as she searched for the right words.

"Um, Lily and I were just having breakfast together," she said finally.

"Oh, I see," Molly said. A sense of guilt crept into Carly as she noticed the look of disappointment on her cousin's face. "I didn't mean to intrude," she finished.

"You're not," Carly said quickly as she walked over to her cousin. "What's going on?"

"Oh, uh, nothing," Molly said uneasily. "I haven't spoken to you in a few days, so I just wanted to drop by really quick and see how you were doing. But I guess by the looks of things you're doing pretty well." She paused. "I'll get out of your way."

The guilt was nudging at Carly on the inside.

"Hey, what do you say we meet up for a cup of coffee this evening?" she asked hopefully as she briefly looked over her shoulder at Lily.

"You know, I don't know if I'm going to have time. I should get to work," Molly said averting her eyes and heading for the door.

Carly felt terrible. She knew that her cousin was extremely hurt by the situation. It also didn't help that she'd walked in just as she and Lily were ecstatically celebrating their good news. She knew she was no Brutus or Judas Iscariot—far from them in fact—but it was pretty evident that her cousin had her pinned for a backstabber.

"Wait, did you need to talk to me about something?" she asked before Molly could walk out.

"It can wait," Molly replied, still not making eye contact. "Bye Lily," she said quickly as she made her exit.

"Bye Molly," Lily managed to get in before the front door closed.

Carly turned to face Lily. The awkwardness of the last few minutes continued to hang in the air.

"I'm sorry," Lily said guiltily.

"No, it's not your fault," Carly said, waving a hand as she walked back over to the table. "Hopefully now that we've secured this place, we can get started on construction soon and I can tell her everything. As for us being friends…she'll come around. I'll have to work for it, but we'll be fine."

"I hope so," Lily said with an uncertain smile.

Once again the phone started to ring and Lily reached over to answer it.

"Hi Liz," she said. "Oh, don't worry about it…"

Carly sat back down across from her business partner and listened carefully as she continued to discuss the details of their lease with their real estate agent.

At the farm, Holden sat across from his cousin at the dining table in the kitchen looking utterly overwhelmed.

"So, let me get this straight: you tell her about kissing Carly…three times; after basically getting caught, she finally admits to sleeping with Dusty on New Years' Eve and going away to Miami with him when she lied to you about visiting her relatives; you both realized that you've cheated on each other in some capacity; but only _your_ stuff—pretty much everything you own—gets trashed?"

Jack assessed all the statements.

"Correct," he said tiredly, taking a sip of his coffee.

After a few minutes of attempting to clean up the massive mess in the bedroom, Jack and Holden had decided that they needed fuel in the form of caffeine in their bodies to energize them before taking on the grueling task.

"Wow, it's a shame that Molly didn't stick around to hear the rest of the juicy details," Holden said. "I'm sure she would've had a lot more not-so-nice things to say about Janet if she'd heard about the affair." He paused. "No offense," he added.

"None taken," Jack said with a shrug. "I've accepted it. Although, it's probably good that she didn't stay to find out. The whole thing is so twisted and convoluted that I think it's better if I told Carly myself so that she doesn't get too confused. In the meantime, can you do me a favor?"

"What's that?" Holden asked.

"Can you not mention any of this to Molly until I've had a chance to explain everything to Carly? That way she hears it from me first."

"Well, Molly was already upset that I didn't tell her about you and Janet being alone at the farm until this morning, but…" Holden started to say.

"Wait a minute," Jack interrupted. "Is that why you guys stopped by here so early? She wanted to see how things turned out between me and Janet?"

"Uh, yeah," Holden said sheepishly. "It's only because she wants you and Carly back together, you know."

Jack smiled.

"Yeah, I know. She hasn't exactly been subtle about it since she found out about the kiss."

"I won't mention any of this to Molly," Holden promised; going back to the request that Jack had made moments ago.

"Thanks man, I know I can count on you," Jack said appreciatively.

"By the way, there's something I've been meaning to tell you," Holden said. "I was talking to Nat yesterday and she said the weirdest thing."

"Yeah? What's that?" Jack asked.

"Apparently, Lily and Carly have been spending a lot of time together lately."

"Yeah, I know. I saw them having lunch at Al's together yesterday," Jack informed him.

"That's odd, isn't it?" Holden asked, pursing his lips.

"I thought so too," Jack confirmed with a nod. "But I'm glad that they seem to have found a way to move past all the..."

Jack couldn't bring himself to complete the sentence, and the look on Holden's face told him that he'd rather he didn't. Jack cleared his throat.

"So how does Molly feel about all this?" he asked instead.

"I don't know. I haven't talked to her about it. But I'm assuming she's fine with it since it seems as though nothing's changed between her and Carly."

There were a few moments of silence before Holden piped up again.

"So, what've you got planned for the day, besides talking to Carly?"

"Well, I've got the night shift today," Jack explained. "So, after cleaning up around here, I thought I'd do some shopping. You know, since I'm about five shirts and two pairs of pants away from being clothless" he said with a wry smile. "After that, I was going to head over to the Lakeview and check out of my room and bring my things back here. Once all that's done, I'll go over to Carly's."

"Looks like you're going to be busy man," Holden observed.

"Yeah, it's been a nice change of pace…for the most part, anyway. What do you have planned?"

"Oh, Molly and I are heading up to Lake Michigan for the weekend for some R&R. Lily and I are driving up to bring Faith home the following weekend, so once she's here, we won't have as much time to ourselves for a while."

"Well, I'm glad that things are going so well for you guys," Jack said with a sincere smile.

"Yeah, me too," Holden said, a momentary glint in his eyes before he changed gears. "So, what do you say we get crackin' on cleaning up the aftermath of Hurricane Janet?"

Jack sighed wearily at the very idea of returning to what looked like a crime scene out of a CSI episode—minus the dead body, of course. He was just grateful that he had an extra pair of hands to help him complete the painstaking task a little faster.

"Hey Holden: thanks again for everything. Not just helping with the clean up, but also with all the listening and advice."

"Don't mention it, Jack," Holden said standing up. "Tell ya what. You buy me a couple of beers at Yo's one of these days and we'll call it even." He looked over at the table setting again, an impish grin creasing his mouth. "So, did you want to hold on to one of these seduction candles as a souvenir from last night, or shall I toss them all out."

Jack glared at his cousin and shook his head as he got up from his chair. Holden laughed as he started gathering up all the scattered candles. Jack watched him quietly for a few moments before starting to do the same. This was nothing compared to the clean up job waiting for them upstairs. Just thinking about it was damn near exhausting.

"Here you are, ladies," Liz said, reaching over her desk with both hands and simultaneously handing a set of similar keys to Carly and Lily.

Carly's eyes sparkled as she looked into her palm. The whole thing seemed so surreal. Out of nearly a dozen offers, was theirs really the one that was picked? Was she really sitting there in her real estate agent's office with her business partner and closing the deal on their newly leased building? Had she and Lily really just been handed a set of keys each to their very own boutique? Were all the things she'd dreamed of for the past week actually becoming a reality?

"Thanks so much, Liz," Lily said.

"My pleasure, Lily. Listen, I know you guys are anxious to head over to your place, but do you have any questions for me while you're here?" Liz asked.

Lily and Carly looked at each other. Carly shook her head.

"Nope, I think we're good," Lily answered on both their behalves.

"Okay, well, if you have any questions, you have both my cell and office numbers and my email address. Don't hesitate to get in touch with me if there's anything else you need clarified."

"Will do," Lily said. "If not, the next time you'll be hearing from us is when you get your invite to our launch party."

"I'll hold you to that!" Liz said with a smile as all three women chuckled.

"Thanks again for everything, Liz," Carly said as she and Lily exited the office.

Once they were on the other side of the door, Carly checked her cell phone. The screen indicated that there was a text message waiting in her inbox.

As she'd promised, she'd called Neal from Lily's car on their way over to Liz's office to let him know that they had secured the lease. As expected, Neal was extremely happy for them. Carly had invited him to stop by and see the place if he could find some time to step away from the construction site for a little while. Neal had told her that he'd check on the status of how things were coming along there and then text her to let her know if he'd be able to meet them.

"So, Neal should be meeting us there in about twenty minutes," she informed Lily as she tucked her phone back into her purse.

"Perfect. Let's go. Carly's Closet awaits," Lily said; her infectious grin rubbing off on Carly.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, Carly couldn't help the fluttery feeling of anticipation that swirled around in her stomach as Lily unlocked the large glass doors. It was perfectly justified given that this was a momentous occasion that they would likely only experience once. She breathed in the smell from the doorway and was welcomed by the scent of fresh paint. To her, it smelled almost heavenly in that moment.

"Here we are," Lily said as they walked in together.

Despite the obvious lack of decoration, they feasted on the four walls surrounding them.

"Well, she's going to need some dolling up, but she's all ours," Carly said with a starry-eyed smile.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Both of them turned around to see Neal standing on the other side of the glass, waving to them. Carly walked over to let him in. She immediately noticed the brown briefcase he was holding in one hand.

"Hello ladies. Congratulations again," he said, beaming at them.

"Thanks Neal," Carly said as he hugged her.

Lily followed suit with the same expression of gratitude when he hugged her next.

"What's in there?" Carly asked inquisitively.

"Don't fret. All will be revealed in due time," Neal said with a gentle smile. "So, this is my new project, eh?" he said, looking around and taking in the atmosphere around him.

"Yep. And we have very high expectations from you, Mr. Stokes," Lily said good-naturedly.

"Very good, because I expect nothing less," he replied with a grin.

Lily grew serious.

"Neal, I know that you've already agreed to work with us before even looking over a deal on print, but I promise you that we won't stiff you," she assured him. "And just remember that if you're not happy with our offer, you're under no obligation to sign with us whatsoever."

"Yeah," Carly added with a nod. "All we'd require at that point is for you to maintain your vow of secrecy. And don't worry, we'll still be your friends," she said with a smile.

"Ladies, please," Neal said as he held up a hand in gentle protest. "I knew that I was taking a leap of faith when I agreed to renovate your business, but I never would've said yes if I didn't trust you both. Don't worry, I'm rather negotiable. I'm sure we'll be able to strike an amicable compromise that'll make all parties happy. You have my promise."

Lily relaxed at his words.

"Okay. Well, we won't be in limbo for very much longer," she said. "Now that we have the place secured, we can get my lawyer involved and ink out a contract within the next few days."

"Splendid," Neal said. He paused. "In the meantime, there's something I wanted to discuss with the two of you."

Carly and Lily watched him curiously.

"As you both already know," he started to explain. "In addition to renovating your place, I'm also heading up the construction of the neurology wing over at Oakdale Memorial."

Both women nodded their acknowledgement.

"And as I mentioned the other day, since I'm the primary contractor who signed off on the preliminary contract with the hospital board of trustees, I'll have to make sure that I'm available to them for at least the majority of each day, which means that I'll have to keep alternating quite a bit between both sites. Now, I know that you both said you'd be okay with that, but personally, I think you ladies deserve more than that."

"What are you saying, Neal?" Carly asked in bewilderment.

"Do you remember me mentioning my friend Alex the night of the charity benefit?" he asked her.

"Oh, right," Carly said nodding. "Your business partner."

"That's him," Neal confirmed as he continued. "Well, initially he wasn't expected to participate in the neurology wing project. I was supposed to head up the construction here in Oakdale, and he was in charge of overseeing a building renovation we're doing in New York. Anyway, it turns out that they're halting all work on the place for at least another three months because of some budget issues, and he's rather blue about it. I initially asked him to come to Oakdale to help me out at the hospital so he'd have something to keep him involved, but then I had a better idea. I thought that it would make a lot more sense if…"

"If he worked with us on our boutique instead..?" Lily completed.

Neal nodded.

"What do you ladies say?" he asked, looking from Carly to Lily. "He's a great bloke. Wonderful sense of humor and not too shabby looking. I think you both will really like him. Plus, I think this would be a more manageable project for him right now given all the stress he's been under lately. Of course this means that we'll have to let him in on our plans."

"I'd be okay with it,"Carly said, her eyes moving from Neal's face to Lily's. "What about you?" she asked Lily.

Lily shrugged.

"If he's as trustworthy as you, Neal, I don't see why not."

"I assure you he is," Neal said, chuckling. "We've only been working together for a little over a year now, but I'd trust him with my life."

"Sounds like a great guy," Lily declared. "When can we meet him?"

"Well, you're in luck," he informed them. "He just rang me a little while ago to let me know that he's checked into his room at the Lakeview. We've made plans to have dinner together this evening once he's had a few hours to settle in. Obviously I didn't want to say anything to him about your plans before talking to the both of you first. I know it's very last minute, but if you ladies are free tonight, we'd be more than happy to have you join us. It'll be a nice opportunity for us all to get better acquainted before we officially start working together."

Carly and Lily looked at each other as they considered the proposition.

"Well, since Emma's watching the kids, I'm free," Lily said.

The only plans Carly had made—or attempted to make for the evening—were with Molly, and given that her cousin had rebuffed her invitation for coffee later that day, her schedule was open as well.

"Count me in," she informed them both.

"Excellent. Which brings me to this," Neal said, gesturing to the briefcase. "I was wondering if it would be okay with you ladies if I sketched out a rough layout of the place. This way, I can give it to Alex to review when I see him this evening."

"Of course!" Carly said with a grin.

Taking his cue, Neal opened the briefcase and pulled out a large brown pad, some sketching pencils, and a piece of graph paper.

"In the meantime, Carly, would you mind doing the honors?" he asked, reaching back down into his briefcase and handing her a digital camera. "Just a shot of every wall and some of the details would be good."

"With pleasure," Carly said, taking it from him and walking around the place to start snapping pictures.

Neal quickly began drawing an outline of the existing condition of Carly's Closet as Lily stood next to him and watched. After a walkthrough of the room with the digital camera, Carly returned to where Neal and Lily stood and watched Neal finish his sketch.

"Okay, there we have it," he said after a few moments.

"Neal, even for a rough draft, that looks great," Lily commented.

"This is just the beginning," he said with a grin.

Carly and Lily grinned back at him. They'd been doing a lot of that today and it didn't seem to get tiring.

"So, should we wait until we've drawn out an official contract before we start discussing details, or are you ladies eager to start brainstorming right away?" Neal asked. "Your preference."

"Eager to start brainstorming right away!" Carly exclaimed immediately.

"Ditto," Lily added, chuckling at Carly's childlike excitement.

"Very good. Then we can get started tonight at dinner," Neal said "How does six o'clock work for you both?"

Both Carly and Lily okay'd the suggestion. Then suddenly, Carly voiced an occurring concern.

"Hey you guys, would it really be wise for us to be sitting at a table at the Lakeview discussing renovation plans for our new business out in the open? I mean, I'm sure the Lakeview restaurant has ears. Besides, I'd hate for Lisa to find out that she's got some major competition headed her way. Well, not yet anyway."

"Hmm, good points," Lily agreed. "Both of those could be rather problematic."

"Actually, I have a better idea," Neal chimed in. "Why don't we meet up for dinner at my suite? We can order room service. I'll be heading over there in a couple of hours so I can have all these pictures uploaded on my laptop before then and we can look over them along with the floor plans with Alex. This way we'll have plenty of privacy and room to work out all the preliminaries. We can talk, have a few drinks and appetizers, and then look over our plans and have a leisurely dinner."

Lily and Carly's eyes sparkled and they voiced their approval.

"I'm in room Suite 326 all the way at the south end of the hall," Neal informed them. He picked up his packed briefcase. "Okay, ladies, I'll take your leave for now. I'll let Alex know that he can expect some lovely company this evening. He'll be thrilled that he won't be stuck just staring at my uninteresting face throughout dinner. I'm heading over to the construction site for a couple of hours, but I'll see you both in a little while. I'm really looking forward to it."

After sharing their temporary goodbyes, Neal was on his way. Carly and Lily lingered a little while longer, still absorbing the reality that this place was now theirs to cultivate into a success. Their plans were already beginning to take shape after this meeting with Neal, and would continue even further when they met up with him and his partner for dinner. After a good hour of enthusiastically discussing the future of their boutique and their designing plans, they continued to gush about everything from their kids to the latest hair care products. Finally, Carly and Lily reluctantly left their newly inherited treasure for the time being. Lily dropped Carly off by her driveway as they both headed home for a little break before they had to get changed for dinner.


	14. Lies, Discoveries, and Misunderstandings

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN: LIES, DISCOVERIES, AND MISUNDERSTANDINGS**

It wasn't until Carly had walked into the quietness of her house and sunk onto the couch that all the jumbled emotions swirling around inside her mind began to unravel. She had been a bundle of nerves at the start of the day; the uncertainty of whether or not she and Lily would acquire the lease had weighed heavily on her sleeplessness the previous night and spilled over into that morning. However, sitting down to breakfast with Lily and slipping into another comfortable conversation with her had slowly helped bring down her anxiety level one small notch at a time. That is, until that phone call from Emma. That's when things began to fluctuate between a series of highs and lows; like an erratic lifeline screening within the span of a few minutes.

The onset had been the news of Jack's "romantic" night with Janet alone at the farm leading to their reunion. Something inside her had started to crack when Lily regretfully broke the information to her. It made no sense for her to feel the way she did, and yet, she seemed to have no control over the anger and jealousy that were bubbling up inside her as she struggled to comprehend the reason why.

However, the second call to Lily's phone had hardly given her any time to sort through her inexplicable feelings. The news following this phone call had been a stark contrast to the first one. Joy and excitement welled up inside Carly as she and Lily celebrated their first taste of success: acquiring that lease. The celebration was cut short, however, by the unexpected entrance of Molly into the Milltown living room with no forewarned knock. That's when the guilt and helplessness started to set in. She could read the unmistakable signs of hurt and betrayal etched on her cousin's face when she discovered her laughing and embracing Lily of all people. It's why she'd made such a hasty exit before Carly could stop her. Although what she would've said to appease her had she done so, she had no idea. She and Lily weren't quite ready to go public with their company, so letting Molly in on their business partnership was not yet an option. But if the business aspect of her interactions with Lily were restricted from disclosure, then would Molly understand the personal aspect of it? Would she be able to deal with the fact that she and Lily had once again renewed their friendship? Before she could mull over those thoughts some more, Carly was struck with a question. Why had Molly stopped by to see her that morning on her way to work? It wasn't customary for her to do so at all. She immediately realized that her cousin had stopped by with more of a purpose than to simply pop in to say 'hello.'

Carly had barely started to brainstorm over the possible reasons behind her cousin's out-of-the-blue visit as she walked back over to her seat at the dining table to rejoin Lily when Liz called back again with more details about finalizing the deal later that very morning. With that, Carly had effectively become distracted for a good while: getting the keys to the boutique becoming her primary goal and focus. Sitting in Liz's office and holding that set of keys in the palm of her hand for the first time had seemed more like a dream than a reality. Not long after that, as Lily unlocked the doors using her matching set of keys to their very own boutique, Carly breathed in the historical moment as she took her first steps indoors. Standing there in that spacious room and envisioning all the things that would fill those four walls had sent a rush of excitement coursing through her veins. Neal showing up and furthering things along with his sketch—though still in the rough stages—had only helped drive home the fact that this was no dream, but a wonderful reality that was slowly but surely progressing with each move they made. Hopefully this dinner with Lily, Neal, and his partner would be another great reminder that good things—at least where her career was concerned—were finally going her way.

And yet, despite it all, here she was, sitting in the stillness of her living room and stewing over Jack's newfound happiness with his wife. Why should she care if they'd found a way to patch things up? After all, wasn't she the one who had been pushing him to make things right with Janet? Then _why the hell_ was it that the news of their reunion felt like someone had punched her square in the gut? Maybe it was the harrowing reminder of the last time a similar sequence of events had unfolded. A little over a year ago, when things had been rocky in his relationship with Janet and he'd made the same proclamation of love to her. It was right after she had rescued him from the trap that James Stenbeck had set for him. They'd stood there in his hospital room as he admitted he loved her and wanted to take another chance at their relationship. Having waited nearly a year and a half to hear him utter those words again, she had initially felt elated by his declaration. However, fear and doubt soon took the place of any happiness or hope she had felt in those brief moments and she had escaped from their conversation when a nurse had interrupted them. She had wondered if he had really meant those words, or if it was just his sense of gratitude talking. She had needed him to _prove_ the depth of his love and commitment to her before she could truly allow herself to fully trust in them again. She'd wanted him to _fight_ for them; to convince her that they could make it, that they could once again have what they once had. But he hadn't done that. Instead, he seemed to flounder between giving them a chance again and cutting things off with Janet completely. That's when they'd mutually agreed they weren't together. Only, her heart told her that they weren't over. When she'd rushed over to him to make her case, she'd found him on one knee at Old Town proposing to Janet. The following months leading up to his marriage had been hell for her. Now, it was happening all over again. _This_ time, however, she wasn't going to set herself up for the same crushing blow. _This_ time she wasn't going to sit around and feel sorry for herself or mourn the fact that she had come so close and just lost him all over again. After all, why grieve over a relationship that had died once more before it had even begun? Why should she allow herself to be taken in by his confessions of love when he had hardly followed through on them the last few times? Anyway, she had three wonderful children to think about and an exciting career to launch. That was enough for her. She didn't need a man—_any_ man—to be her crutch. Not even if that man was the eternal love of her life. She had overcome her share of adversities by herself before and she was more than capable of doing it again on her own.

Carly forcefully stood up from the couch. Painful as it was, she was done mulling over things from her past and things from her present that would obviously never be. She had a few errands to run before getting ready for her business dinner that evening, so she decided to get a move on. First things first, she had a dining table that needed clearing. After a few trips back and forth from the table to the refrigerator, and a lot of rearranging later, Carly had successfully managed to accommodate all the serving platters and dishes inside. At least, she thought, she wouldn't have to worry about making breakfast all throughout the weekend and into the middle of the following week.

Jack continued to browse through the various polo shirts on the rack in front of him. While his body might've been inside the Van Heusen's store in Old Town, his mind was miles away. Had Molly talked to Carly like she'd so eagerly planned to do when she'd run out of the farm in such a hurry this morning? How had Carly taken the news? Did she understand that she was the reason he'd been so determined to end his marriage to Janet? Had Molly explained that it was the depth of his love for her that had prompted him to quickly put to death a marriage that had been doomed from the start? Carly might've encouraged him to fix things with Janet and go back home to her, but she'd done the same thing in the past. What if they were just words like last time? What if this time she'd realized that he would come back to her for good like he should've done the last time?

Jack looked down at his watch. It was nearly half past twelve. After several grueling hours of cleaning up Janet's path of destruction, he and Holden had ordered themselves a pizza for lunch. After that, Holden had headed upstairs to pack for his weekend trip with Molly since they were planning to get an early start that afternoon in order to beat the crazy Friday evening traffic that was usually a combination of commuters and travellers. In the meantime, Jack had made his way to Old Town to do some much-needed clothes shopping. It was a pain basically having to start from scratch to build up an entirely new wardrobe. However, he couldn't find it in himself to concentrate. All he could think about was how Carly had taken the news of his marriage ending when Molly had broken it to her. How would she react when he told her about Janet's affair with Dusty? He was hoping she wouldn't beat herself up too much for encouraging him to work on his marriage to Janet when all the while she had been cheating on him. After all, none of this was her fault. It was his. He should've realized that his marriage to Janet would never work. Not just because of the affair, but because he had married her for all the wrong reasons from the very beginning. It was doomed before either of them had even said their "I do's"; hell, it had been doomed since he'd gotten down on one knee and asked her that dreaded question.

After shopping, Jack was going to head over to the Lakeview and check out of his room and take his things—new and existing—and unpack them at what was now only _his_ bedroom at the farm. He wondered what he was going to do with all that excess closet space now that Janet had cleared out all her knickknacks. Then it struck him. Hopefully this return to the farm was only temporary. Hopefully, in the not-so-distant future, he'd be back at his _real _home: back in Milltown where he belonged. The very thought of it made him smile. He knew that he and Carly still had a lot of things to work through before it could happen, but he couldn't help the happiness and hope he felt as he anticipated his future. He immediately realized that he didn't want to delay the inevitable. Shopping could wait. Checking out of the Lakeview could wait. He needed to talk to Carly—_wanted_ to talk to her—as soon as possible.

Carly plucked the grocery list from the magnetic notepad that clung to the refrigerator door. She had decided that between stopping by to visit Molly at the WOAK station and heading over to Metro to see Dusty to discuss the taxes from the previous year, that she'd make a quick run to the store and pick up some essentials for the house. After that, she had to pick up Sage and Parker from school. Just then the house phone started to ring. Her heart skipped a beat when she checked the caller ID displayed on the screen: 'Jack Cell.' She swallowed hard as she contemplated her next move. The first of her instincts had been to pick it up and yell a few choice obscenities into the mouthpiece before he could get a word in and slam the phone down, the second had been to just let the machine get it, but her third told her that she needed to answer. What if he was calling about the kids? She knew she couldn't let her issues with him—no matter how serious—cloud her judgment when it came to their children.

"Hello?"

She couldn't help the sour tinge that accompanied her greeting.

"Hey Carly, it's me," Jack said at the other end of the line.

"Hi," she said; tinge still intact.

There was a short pause.

"Everything okay?" Jack asked.

Knowing her as well as he did, those two small words from her over the phone already told him that everything was in fact _not_ okay. Although why that was, he obviously had no idea.

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine. What do you _want_, Jack?" she asked; annoyance apparent in her voice.

"I, uh…I thought we should talk," Jack said.

She could sense his confusion at her coldness.

"About what?" she asked sharply, even though she already had a nagging idea even before the subject had been fully broached.

"I think you know, Carly" Jack said confidently.

"Oh, right: you and Janet," she said bitterly.

"Uh, yeah," he said, slightly dazed.

For a brief second, Carly wondered how _he_ knew that _she_ knew about him and Janet. The only thing that would make sense is if Jack had somehow run into Lily since the forty minutes that she had last seen her. Anyway, it didn't really matter. What _did _matter at the moment, however, was getting off of this ridiculous phone call.

"You know what, Jack? I'm really busy right now. I'm _happy_ for you, really I am," she fibbed, "but _excuse_ me if I don't have the time to party it up with you right now."

There was another pause.

"Carly, what's going on with you?"

The question made her prickle.

"I'm _perfectly_ fine! What makes you think there's something wrong with me?"

At this point she didn't care how blunt she was being. Damn him and damn this damned phone call. There was another pause at the other end of the line.

"I don't know…it just sounds like something's got you a bit on edge," Jack explained.

"Nope. It's just another bright sunny day and everything is as wonderful as peaches and cream with the world," she bit out, her words dripping with sarcasm.

Jack remained beyond confused. Ever since she'd come home from rehab and relentlessly followed him from town to town when he'd gone through his breakdown following Brad's death, they'd gotten along just fine. Well, as "fine" as could've been under the circumstances; which mostly consisted of him being despondent and short-tempered and her being his voice of reason. In fact, once they'd returned to Oakdale and he'd moved into Milltown, it seemed as though they'd finally broken their old patterns and found a way to become friends. So for her to now suddenly give him an unpleasant taste of the way things were between them before they'd called an unspoken truce, left him baffled and hurt.

"Carly, I…"

"Listen Jack, I'm _glad_ that your romantic night with Janet went off so well. But given that I don't have the time, I think I'll pass on the details for now," she said, cutting him off; unable to bear this discussion any longer.

This time the length of the pause on Jack's end of the line was twofold.

"'Went off so well'? What are you talking about?" he asked, confusion now shifting to frustration.

"Well…a romantic night alone at the farm that leads to a lovely reunion between an estranged husband and wife would qualify as going off 'well', wouldn't you say?" she asked rhetorically; sarcasm still in full play.

"What..? Where'd you..? What exactly did Molly tell you?" Jack asked.

"Molly? What does Molly have to do with this?" Carly asked, suddenly feeling a confusion of her own.

"Didn't she come by to see you?"

"Yeah, she did. But I didn't get a chance to talk to her because I was wi—I was busy. I was going to talk to her in a little bit."

Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh. Okay. That explains it," he said with a chuckle. "Well, maybe it was fate that you didn't get to hear about it from Molly. I guess it'sbetter if you hear everything from me."

Suddenly Carly felt things fall into place. Was that why Molly had stopped by to see her on her way to work this morning? To fill her in on the Jack and Janet reunion?

"Jack, I told you, I don't…"

Carly's callous attitude finally made sense to Jack, and this time, he cut her off.

"Carly, Janet and I _aren't_ back together."

Now there was a pause on the opposite end of the line.

"You aren't?"

"No. We talked and we ended things. The marriage is over."

Carly was totally and completely gobsmacked.

"Then, what was that..? The farm…the 'romantic night'..?" she fumbled.

Jack chuckled.

"Well, there was nothing _'romantic'_ about it, believe me. The pauses between them were getting ridiculously repetitive by now. "Wait…so if you didn't get to talk to Molly, how did you know about that?"

"Lily," she said. "Obviously Emma told her about it since she stayed over at her place last night to give you and Janet some privacy at the farm." She cringed at her own words. "And Lily told me."

"Oh," Jack said.

Ever since he'd seen Carly and Lily together at Al's the day before and after his conversation with Holden a few hours earlier, he'd been meaning to ask Carly about what was going on with her and Lily. Now, however, didn't seem like the right time. Not when there were more pressing matters to discuss. So while he shrugged it off for now, he made a mental note to bring it up with her later.

"Listen, that's why I wanted to talk to you," Jack said, his voice softening considerably. "I want you to hear everything from me. Can I come over so that we can talk about this?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. When did you want to stop by?"

Before the wheels of rational thought had even started churning inside her head, Carly's mouth had already uttered those words.

"Well, I have the late shift today, so right now I'm at Van Heusen's getting some shopping done. But it can wait."

"Shopping? You hate shopping!" Carly said with a small laugh.

Wait a minute…was she _smiling_? Was she _actually smiling_? Why the _hell_ was she _smiling_?

Jack laughed.

"Yeah, well, let's just say that it's a dire situation. I'll explain when I see you. Anyway, the shopping can wait."

"Wait, Jack. If you're already there, doesn't it make more sense to just finish the shopping once and for all?"

"Hmm…that's a good point," he agreed.

Besides, just then Jack caught a glimpse of his appearance through a reflection in one of the mounted full-length mirrors against one of the store pillars. He looked like hell. His hair was still tousled. His eyes were bloodshot. His jaw sported a slight hue of facial stubble. It's not how he wanted to look when he saw her. He figured he'd also take a quick shower before heading over to Milltown. Sure she'd seen him look worse—especially when they'd been on the road during his little soul-searching mission; then later when he'd wandered around the house jobless and bored sick for the past month and a half; and of course when they were married for all those years—but for this particular conversation, he wanted to look presentable. He wanted it done right.

Carly made a quick mental checklist of the things she'd planned on getting done before Jack had called. First, she wanted to drop by WOAK and see Molly, then pick up some household supplies at the grocery store, then head over to Metro to talk to Dusty, and then pick up Sage and Parker from school. She decided that it was best to get all of these things out of the way before seeing Jack so that she wouldn't have to worry about taking care of them in a rush before she had to head over to the Lakeview for her dinner with Lily, Neal, and his partner. Besides, who knows how long this conversation with Jack would run? From the sound of it, it seemed as though he had a lot to say. It only made sense to get everything out of the way first, so that she and Jack could talk uninterrupted before she had to leave for dinner. Although what she was expecting to get out of this conversation with him and what she would say in return, she had absolutely _no_ freaking idea.

"Jack, I've got some errands to take care of and then I have to go pick up the kids from school. Why don't you come by after that? I can give you a call when I'm just about done."

"Right, the kids. I'm going to need to tell them as well, don't I?"

"Well, how about this? How about we send them upstairs to do their homework while we talk and then we can sit down and explain everything to them."

Jack smiled at Carly's problem-solving skills.

"I'd like that, Carly," he said; his voice soft again. "Something tells me I'm in for a big, fat 'I told you so' from Sage when it's all said and done," he quipped.

Carly laughed, knowing full well that Sage wouldn't consider the news of her father's recently collapsed marriage as bad news. Then again, by the sound of it, Jack didn't seem to think so either.

"So, about how long will you be?" Jack asked.

Carly guesstimated the approximate time each of her tasks would take.

"Oh, I'd say about an hour and a half to two hours. I'll call you when I'm on my way home."

"Sounds good," Jack said with a smile.

"Okay, I'll talk to you in a little bit then," Carly said, her own mouth curving into a small smile.

Not missing a beat, Jack sensed it and it only succeeded in making his grow wider.

"Can't wait," he said.

"Bye," she finished before hanging up.

Carly stood there for a few seconds, the smile still planted in place. Then, realizing that she needed to get a move on, she headed for the door, grabbing her purse and keys before she locked up behind her.

Carly knew that if she wanted to get back into Molly's good graces, that she needed to do it face to face. Having inherited that same Tenney stubbornness, she knew her cousin well enough to realize that a phone conversation would just end with her getting snubbed or blown off for a while. At least if she approached her in person, she could make a better case without the risk of being rebuffed with some lame excuse of why she couldn't talk and had to hang up. As she walked through the studio and scanned the busy place, there was no sight of Molly.

"Excuse me," Carly said, getting the attention of a passing cameraman carrying a long tri-pod. "Is Molly Conlan around?"

"Oh, you just missed her," the man said. "She took half the day off today. Apparently she and her boyfriend are heading out of town for the weekend so she went home to pack."

She thanked the man before he continued on his way.

The news disappointed Carly. She was thrilled for Holden and Molly, of course, but now she had to wait until after the weekend was over to talk to her cousin. Given that the face to face approach had been a bust, her next instinct had been to go with plan B and call Molly to at least attempt to explain the situation with Lily. But then she knew that the last thing that Molly would want to hear about before her getaway with Holden was something related to his ex-wife. Besides, what _would_ she tell Molly about her relationship with Lily? Carly decided that it was better to wait and talk to Molly in person once she was back from her trip. Who knows? Maybe the time away with Holden would help her unwind and put her in a better mood when they did talk.

Carly found herself zipping through the grocery store with an added vigor that afternoon. She'd always hated dragging those lame shopping carts that seemed to have minds of their own from aisle to aisle; but not on this day. The one she had chosen that afternoon had turned out to be rather friendly and cooperative. Or maybe it was just her improved mood that kept her from noticing any of its apparent flaws. Even the acne-faced teenager with a sour attitude at the checkout register didn't rub off on her. Next stop: Metro.

It wasn't until she stood outside the large wooden doors to the club's entrance that Carly felt a sense of dread spread through her gut. Her mouth went dry at the possibility of seeing one particular face on the other side of it: big, red hair styled in a hideously outdated Peg Bundy redux; cheap, colossal-sized earrings dangling just above the shoulders; a deeply cut v-necked dress or blouse about a fourth of an inch shy from being cited for indecent exposure as the "assets" underneath hung out for intentional show-casing; and unpredictable facial expressions that could alternate between a smug scowl to a phony, gum-exposing grin. Either one made her want to do the same thing: run her fist smack dab into that damn face.

Carly took in a deep breath and braced herself for whichever expression she would be greeted with today. She breathed a sigh of relief when the object of her feeling of unpleasantness was nowhere in sight. Did this day just get even better? Was good fortune finally turning her way? She looked around for the new owner of Metro, but he was nowhere to be seen either. Just then she saw a familiar face tending the bar. It was the other Ciccone sister: the one who had likely inherited the positive traits from within the family—although there was a good chance that maybe genetics didn't even play into it.

"Hi Teri," Carly said, walking over to her.

"Hey Carly," she said with a smile from the other side of the counter. "What can I get you?"

Carly could see a look of regret on Teri's face immediately following her question and it wasn't hard to figure out why that was.

"I'm not here on a social call, Teri," Carly explained assuringly, quickly dispelling the young woman's concerned expression, "I'm here on business. I need to go over last year's taxes with Dusty. Is he around?"

"Oh, you know, I'm not sure. I just came in for my shift and I haven't seen him yet. But if he's here, he should be in his office. Would you like me to check for you?"

Carly looked down the row and noticed that every barstool was occupied by a customer.

"No, it's okay. It looks like you've got your hands full here. I'll go see if he's in there," Carly said as she made her way around back to what was not so long ago _her_ office.

The wooden door with the nameplate 'Dusty Donovan: Owner/Executive Manager' was slightly ajar; a crack of about six inches or so separating the edge of the door from the frame. As Carly stood on the outside, she heard voices coming from within which told her that Dusty wasn't alone. Just as she was about to make her presence known with a knock, Carly's fist froze in mid-air before it made contact with the door. Her jaw dropped at what she saw taking place through the sliver that partially revealed the interior of the office.

Dusty was leaning against a bookcase at the far end of the right wall; his face a mixed contortion of discomfort and pain. There was a Ciccone all over him! Obviously not the nice one she'd encountered out front, but the one she'd been relieved _not_ to see after she'd walked into the club. The sight before her made Carly's skin crawl.

"Janet, Janet, you're crushing me!" Dusty wheezed in distress as her breasts were firmly pressed into his chest.

Despite the near desperate plea, it was apparent that the woman had chosen to ignore it.

"Oh, come on! Not that long ago you couldn't get enough of these puppies! Just let me show you…"

Carly threw up a little in her mouth.

"Yeah, well, that was before…" Dusty rasped through evident physical pain.

Janet's finger landed against his lips to silence him from completing the sentence.

"Don't say it! Don't say that we're over!"

"Could you _please _let me breathe?" Dusty begged.

Of all people, it was especially uncharacteristic for Dusty Donovan to request, let alone _beg,_ for something. However, given his torturous state, Carly couldn't blame the guy for succumbing to the unfamiliar in order to cling on to dear life.

This time Janet let up ever so slightly and created a small air cushion of about an inch between her "puppies" and Dusty's oxygen-deprived torso.

"Look, I know I made a mistake, and I'm _sorry_. If I could take it back, I would!" she insisted loudly.

Carly was thunderstruck. Dusty Donovan begging? Janet Ciccone actually apologizing _and _admitting to making a mistake? What the hell was this, the twilight zone?

"You slept with another man!" Dusty accused angrily; finally slipping out from under her and standing up straight.

Carly felt her stomach twist into a dozen knots. Every emotion associated with hurt and anger flooded through her mind and body. She felt an intense urge to slap Jack hard across the face, punch him in the stomach, and knee him between the legs where the sun don't shine.

"You already know that I was drunk! I didn't know what I was doing!" Janet offered in explanation. "Besides, _he_ seduced _me_! _He_ took advantage of _me_! I mean, the guy couldn't stop looking at my boobs from the time we got to the hotel, so obviously he took his chance when he knew that I was the most vulnerable!"

'The hotel.' Carly figured that the shameless bimbo was referring to Lakeview; after all, that's where Jack was staying. The knots in Carly's stomach twisted even tighter and nausea threatened to strike at the unpleasant images her mind were involuntarily conjuring up.

"_Or_ you just fall into bed with _any_ guy when you're smashed!" Dusty spat out.

"What the HELL are you trying to say?" Janet demanded in a rage. "Do you think I'm some kind of a _whore _or something?"

Dusty sighed wearily as he tweaked the bridge of his nose, akin to someone on the verge of experiencing a migraine.

"All I'm saying is that it's over. I can't be with a woman I can't trust."

"HA! Says the man who has been having an affair with a _married_ woman!" Janet spat back. "Besides, you _promised _me that this was going to be a _'romantic'_ trip where we'd get to know each other better, but you hardly spent _any_ time with _me_! All you cared about were your _stupid_ meetings!"

"So you decided to jump the bellboy to pass away the time?" Dusty sniped back. "At least when we rang in the new year together, you knew my name!"

_She didn't even know his name?_ The throbbing pain in Carly's chest and head started to dissipate when she realized that the man in argument wasn't whom she had initially feared it was. She then thought back to New Year's Eve. That was the night that Jack had come looking for her after Craig had tricked her into getting in his car only to skid off the road and get them stranded in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Jack had left Janet waiting for him at the Lakeview and come looking for her. Carly knew that his reasons for coming after her ran deeper than just trying to do a 'good deed.' She had almost succeeded in getting him to admit it that night when they were interrupted by a filthy, freezing, and soaking wet Craig who had come bustling in after falling into a pond.

It was also in that cabin that Jack had told her about Janet's confession to him regarding the kiss she'd shared with Dusty. Obviously things had escalated over the course of that week and led to them falling into bed together on New Year's Eve and had now developed into an affair. It suddenly dawned on Carly that both Dusty and Janet had gone MIA from Oakdale at around the same time. It's then that she pieced it together: it seemed as though the two of them had gone away someplace together and that this 'hotel' in question was likely the one they were staying at while they were away.

The look on Janet's face at Dusty's accusations was murderous. Carly had half a mind to burst in there and rescue Dusty from the claws of the red-headed demon. Instead, she convinced herself that Dusty was a big boy who could take care of himself. Besides, now that Jack had been ruled out as the unlucky recipient of this drunken, one-night stand in Ciccone hell at this random hotel room, the drama unfolding in that little office was actually getting to be rather juicy and entertaining.

"You've got _some _nerve!" Janet growled; her eyes blazing a hell's wrath as she looked about ready to throttle Dusty. "You didn't have any complaints when _you_ slept with _me_ knowing _damn_ well that I was still buzzed on our first night together! But now you won't cut _me_ a break when I make _one_ mistake?"

Dusty laughed sarcastically.

"A 'mistake' I'm sure you wouldn't even have told me about if my meeting hadn't ended early and I hadn't walked in on the two of you!"

"_Of course I would have told you! I've always prided myself in being an honest person!_" Janet protested a little too much and with hardly any evidence to back it up.

Dusty recreated the same sarcastic laugh once again.

"So, that's all you've been keeping from me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What the _hell_ are you getting at?" Janet demanded hotly.

"Well, after our fight, you said you didn't need me anymore and threatened to go home and seduce your husband last night."

"I—I only said that because I was angry!" Janet replied defensively.

"Hmm…" Dusty pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes on her. "So then why did Rico see you buy a bottle of wine and some candles and flowers before you headed to the farm?"

Janet's eyes widened; a combination of anger, surprise, and horror on her face.

"You sent one of your thugs to spy on _me_?" she fumed.

Dusty shrugged calmly.

"Call it the need to satisfy my curiosity."

"How long was he at the farm?" Janet asked as Carly sensed a distinct look of nervousness spread across her face.

"Long enough to see Emma Snyder leave and Jack come home. He called me when he saw Jack's car pull up. That's when I told him to haul out. I could pretty much imagine how things went from there; I didn't need an eyewitness report from outside the window."

Janet studied Dusty's face closely, seemingly trying to assess whether or not he was telling the truth. She just stared at him for a few seconds, as if contemplating the best response.

"For your information: yes, I did go home with wine and candles and flowers. But that was just to let old lady Snyder _think_ that I was there to make nice with her nephew so that she'd clear outta there. It's bad enough that I had to break it off with the guy on his family's farm, it would've been _a lot_ harder to do it with the rest of his family walking around in and out of there."

Dusty smiled wryly.

"So, you're saying that _you_ broke it off?"

Janet scowled at his doubtful tone.

"Of course _I_ broke it off!" she scoffed. "Divorce goes against my faith and everything I believe in, but I still did it _for you_!"

Carly rolled her eyes at the supposedly pious woman standing on the other side of the door. Apparently the same beliefs against divorce didn't apply to serial adultery.

Dusty nodded his head reflectively.

"And this has nothing to do with Carly Tenney?" he asked skeptically.

Carly's ears perked up at the mention of her name.

"What about _her_?" Janet asked; an unmistakable air of disdain in her voice.

"Well, it's pretty obvious that Jack has been sniffing around Carly for a while now. You were even saying that you think he still has feelings for her. I wouldn't be surprised if you broke it off because you were feeling jealous that he still has a thing for her."

Janet looked utterly insulted by Dusty's comment.

"For _your_ information, he _wanted_ to work on our marriage," she shot back. "He made argument after argument for us to work it out. I had to _fight_ to keep his hands off me. _I'm_ the one that turned him down, and I did it because of you!"

"Even though he has a clear shot at Carly?" Dusty asked skeptically. "I don't really keep up with the gossip around Oakdale, but I've seen those two together for years. They used to have one of the most solid marriages in town. And I know a thing or two about love, and when you have a marriage like they had, those feelings don't just go away."

"That was _years _ago before I came into the picture! Now, Carly is just his rebound!" Janet countered. "He only goes to her when he has nowhere else to turn. He needed a place to stay while he worked things out between us, and he crashed at her place because he knew she'd let him. He's not living there anymore, is he? What does that tell you?"

"I don't know. Maybe he's confused," Dusty offered, although it was pretty clear that he didn't seem to care. "It doesn't mean he still doesn't want her back."

Janet looked even more insulted than before.

"Jack had a clear shot at Carly when I was still in the picture and he chose to marry _me_. She's just his insurance policy. He made that pretty clear last night when he told me that he wanted me back so that we could fix our marriage. He even admitted that staying at her house was a mistake. He only uses her when he needs someone and she's desperate enough to let him. It's kinda sad that she doesn't learn that he's moved past her."

Carly backed away from the door. She'd heard about all she could handle or stomach. She stumbled down the hall, through the busy club, and out the doors. Once she was outside, she immediately dug into her purse and reached for her cell phone. She needed to do this quickly before the unshed tears in her eyes threatened to attack her cheeks.

Jack walked through the lobby of the Lakeview; duffel bag slung over his shoulder, and made his way out the door. After finishing up with his shopping, he'd driven back to the hotel and taken a shower before packing up all his things and had just finished checking out. When his cell phone started to ring, he reached into his front jeans pocket in record speed. He smiled when he noticed that it was the call he'd been expecting.

"Hi there," he said softly.

"Uh, hi. Listen, I don't think it's such a good idea that you come over," Carly said.

Jack was dumbfounded, not only by the request, but also by the manner in which it was delivered. Carly sounded exactly like she had when she'd first answered the phone the last time he'd called.

"Okay, at the risk of sounding repetitive: is everything okay?" he asked.

Carly sighed tiredly and wiped away a tear that had just found its way out.

"It doesn't matter. I just have a lot going on, Jack, and I really can't deal with much else right now."

Jack couldn't help the gust of disappointment that hit him.

"Carly, I thought you wanted to talk about this. It's kind of important."

"I changed my mind. Like I said, I've got a lot going on and this is _not_ a complication I need right now…"

"What's all this other stuff that's suddenly got you so busy?" he asked, skeptical as to whether she really meant it or if she was just making excuses.

Carly paused.

"It doesn't matter. All I'm saying is that I can't see you or talk to you right now."

Something about the way she was talking to him really hurt him.

"What about the kids?" he asked. "I thought we were going to tell them together."

"You can tell them. I don't see why I need to be there. Maybe you can pick them up from school instead and take them to Al's or to the farm and tell them."

"Why can't I explain it to them at the house?" he asked.

"You just…you can't. It'll be easier someplace else."

"Carly..."

"Jack, I've gotta go. Just make sure you drop them off at home on your way to work, okay? Bye."

Before Jack could get another word in, Carly had already hung up. He looked down at the phone and wondered why her behavior had suddenly changed so much. It was obvious that she was trying her damndest to distance herself from him and avoid seeing him, and he was determined to find out why.

Carly knew that Jack's evening shifts started at five, which meant that she was clear to enter Milltown around four-thirty or so when he was well on his way to the station. This way, the kids were home already, and she'd be able to avoid an awkward run-in with him. She was well aware of the fact that she'd have to face him sooner or later, but for the time being, she had no intention of coming face to face with him when he dropped the kids off. In any case, she had something to do in the meantime. She took out a pamphlet from her purse and glanced at the timetable printed on it. There was a session starting in about twenty minutes, and she knew that if there was one place she could take refuge in right now, it was at this upcoming AA meeting. Amidst the tears that finally started to flow uncontrollably down her face, Carly headed for her car in the parking lot.


	15. An Outsider's Inner Perspective

_**Author's Note-** Okay you guys, the reason for my absence(complete with explanation and pictures for the curious minds) is posted in the story thread over at the CarJack site. I always feel so bad when there's a long break in between chapters, but I need you all to know that I'm trying my best to try and maintain some semblance of consistency. The problem is that it's always easier said than done._

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN- AN OUTSIDER'S INNER PERSPECTIVE**

Rhonda Willis's eyes gleamed as she looked at the picture on the cell phone screen.

"Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. So this is the ex-husband we've been hearing so much about. Girl, now I see why you can't quit him!" she exclaimed as she handed the phone back across the table to Carly.

Carly smiled softly and took in the picture. It was of her, Jack, Parker, and Sage from this past Christmas. They were all huddled close together in front of the decorated tree with huge grins on their faces as Carly had snapped the image with her cell phone camera and texted it to J.J. soon afterwards.

Carly had informally met Rhonda at the previous AA meeting where she'd told everyone about the kiss she and Jack had shared in the living room right before he'd moved out. Coincidentally, they happened to be at the same walk-in meeting again today. The sessions took place at the medical center right next door to Oakdale Memorial and Carly had stopped off at the cafeteria that connected both buildings for a cup of coffee afterwards. She had been sitting at the only available round table when Rhonda had approached her, a similar cup of coffee in hand, and asked if they could share the same table. Of course Carly didn't have any objections. As an icebreaker, Rhonda had mentioned to Carly that she distinctly remembered her from the previous session that they had both attended. Carly in return, acknowledged the same. Given that this previous meeting had taken place only nine days earlier, it was obvious that this was merely a conversation starter, and both women officially introduced themselves to each other.

The plump African-American woman with black and gray streaked hair looked to be in her late forties to early fifties. What really stood out to Carly about Rhonda through her contributions during both sessions were her sense of humor and a seemingly boundless zest for life.

At the other meeting, which had happened to be Rhonda's first one at this program ever, she'd shared the story of her addiction to alcohol and how she had finally been able to overcome it. Apparently Rhonda's teenage daughter, Sydney, and her boyfriend were struck by a drunk driver on their way to a school dance over a year ago. The young boy, who had been driving the car, died on the spot; but Sydney had survived. However, as a result of the accident, Sydney had been left paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair for nearly a year before she had slowly and miraculously regained the use of her legs. It was the harrowing experience of nearly losing her only daughter, and realizing that it was another alcoholic much like herself who had caused the tragedy, that had prompted Rhonda to take action and walk the road to sobriety. In the process, not only had she come to rejoice in her daughter's complete recovery and second chance at a normal life; but she had also renewed her relationship with God. Since her transformation, Rhonda had learned to embrace life and enjoy every day as if it were a precious gift from above, and Carly had found the woman's story extremely inspiring. It seemed that she and Sydney had only moved to Oakdale a few months ago, and Rhonda had once again wanted to join an AA meeting for accountability's sake.

For her part, Carly had been unable to hold back the anger and pain she had been feeling since she'd walked out of Metro nearly an hour earlier; and as she spoke to the group, she finally let all those suppressed emotions come pouring out of her. Other than Rhonda and the instructor, all the attendants at this meeting were new faces, so Carly started her story from the kiss in the living room once again and went on to tell them about Jack's declaration at the lake. The last time she had sat in that room, she had confidently stated that she knew he still loved her, even though he hadn't yet said it out loud. And now that he had actually admitted it, she knew it was true beyond a doubt. But then again, love had never been the problem; not then, and not now. She'd never doubted his love for her. Never. Not even when he had tried to deny it or downplay it. She'd called him on it every time. In fact, when he'd said those words to her at the lake, the old Carly would've leapt into his arms and kissed him silly. But she hadn't done that. She'd stayed strong and stood her ground. Her fears and reservations about starting things up with Jack ran deeper and were far more complex than she'd ever let herself realize before now; and while it had taken a stint in rehab for her to really examine their relationship, she almost felt like she'd grown up when it came to them while she had been away. Despite those few moments of weakness, this time she was determined not to fall back into her same old patterns where Jack was concerned. Not again. Never again. Still, she felt like she needed to get it all out of her system, and before she knew it, she was spilling details and going places she herself hadn't expected to venture into.

While Rhonda hadn't provided any details about her own love life, she had told Carly that she understood what it was like to lose the love of your life. Obviously, something about the younger woman's plight had really hit close to home and touched her heart enough for her to have approached her in the cafeteria. Soon after they had established a first name-based acquaintanceship, Rhonda had wondered if Carly had a picture of the man she had been talking about, which is when Carly had retrieved her cell phone from her purse and pulled up the one she had taken on Christmas night.

"So, what's handsome's name?" Rhonda asked, gesturing to the cell phone that Carly was still holding in her hand.

"Jack," she said with a smile.

"Well, you and Jack sure made some beautiful babies!" Rhonda said, smiling warmly.

Carly chuckled.

"Actually, Parker is my son from a previous marriage; Sage, our daughter, is the only one who is biologically ours. We also have another son, J.J., who's away at boarding school; he's adopted."

"Well, you all still make a beautiful family. And Sage is a pretty little thing. Looks a lot like her mama. But I bet she's daddy's little girl, isn't she?"

Carly smiled again and nodded. Something about this woman's spirit and intuitiveness made her pleasant to be around. There was a sense of wisdom about her that was very comforting.

"So, this cheating wife of his: what's her name?" Rhonda asked; an added tang in her voice.

"Janet," Carly replied and her smile automatically diminished.

"Seems like a real bitch," Rhonda stated unabashedly.

Carly's eyes widened and she snickered at the wayward comment.

"What?" Rhonda asked, looking at her with a sternly raised eyebrow. "You never heard a Christian lady tell it like it is?"

"Um, no, I…" Carly fumbled.

"Trust me, honey. I know her kind. I used to _be_ her kind. Latching on to whatever man was around to take care of me, mooching off of him for as long as possible like a blood-sucking mosquito, and then moving on to the next sucker when there was nothing else there. That was pretty much all my life had been about…until I met the one man who changed my life."

"Who is he?" Carly asked; although she recalled no mention of a man in the story Rhonda had shared with the group.

"Henry," she said with a sad smile. "My deceased husband…Sydney's daddy."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Carly said sympathetically.

"Thank you," Rhonda accepted, as a nostalgic grin crept up on her face. "Let me tell you, he was _quite_ a man! Tall, dark, and as handsome as they come. All he had to do was smile my way and I'd go weak in the knees!"

Carly laughed softly. She was intrigued by the woman's wistfully impassioned description of this man she obviously still loved very much; which is why her slightly skewed next sentence caught her completely off guard.

"I bet you still get that same feeling when your Jack looks at you, don't you?" Rhonda asked with a knowing smile.

Carly immediately felt her cheeks turn warm.

"Uh...I…" she struggled.

"Oh, honey, you can't fool me!" Rhonda inserted. "I've seen the look on your face when you talk about that man. The twinkle in your eyes, the longing smile, the hush in your voice. It don't take a genius to see you're still crazy for him." She paused. "Now that he's freed himself of that slut of a wife, what's stopping you? Just beat him over the head and drag him by the hair up to your bedroom and get busy on making some more beautiful babies!"

Carly chuckled despite the seriousness of her plight.

"It's not that simple," she said sadly.

"Well, of course it's not!" Rhonda exclaimed. "Love never is. But when two people are meant to be, ain't nothin' gonna keep them apart except themselves."

"I'm just so afraid," Carly admitted.

"You're not letting what that hussy told her lover man get to you, are you?" Rhonda asked sharply.

"About Jack using me as a rebound because things weren't working out between them?"

"Mm-hmm."

Carly paused in thought. Just repeating those words again stung like hell.

"To be honest, I'm not sure what to think," she confessed.

Rhonda let out a chuckle that clearly conveyed her disbelief.

"You've got to be kidding!" she said. "It's pretty obvious that this woman is just lying through her teeth because she doesn't want her new boy toy to think that she's not every man's fantasy. Surely you've gotta know that."

"I do…" Carly began shakily. "I mean, whatever respect I had left for that woman went flying out the window after what I saw and heard earlier today. I knew that a lot of what came out of her mouth was just hot air. It's just…it's just that despite what I heard Janet say and how much truth there was behind it…history still doesn't work in his favor."

"Because he's told you he loved you before but then ended up marrying her soon after?" Rhonda asked for clarification.

Carly nodded.

"Wow, I _really_ poured my heart out in there, didn't I?" Carly said when she realized just how much detail she had gone into at the meeting. "I'm so embarrassed!"

"You shouldn't be!" Rhonda countered immediately. "It's obvious you were holding too much inside, and sooner or later, it all had to come out. Why not today?"

"I guess," Carly agreed. She chuckled at her next thought. "Although, you'd be surprised at how much more I actually left out."

"And one of these days, I'd love to hear about it all, if you'd be willing to share it," Rhonda said with a smile. "But the bottomline here, is that he's a man. They're all idiots, Baby," she declared very matter-of-factly. "It's in their nature to be stupid. Why else do you think God made us women? He needed someone else to deal with the headache that comes with a man."

Carly laughed.

Rhonda's voice changed into a hushed tone as she continued.

"You want to know why I care so much about your story? Because you remind me so much of me." She paused and sighed. "Listen honey, I may not know Jack personally, but I do know what it's like to push a good man you love away because you're too scared to take another chance. Only, in my case, by the time I was ready to take him back, it was too late…and to this day, I regret it.

There was a notable sadness in her eyes as she shared that last detail. Carly wondered what Rhonda meant when she said it had been "too late" for her, but the other woman didn't offer any accompanying explanation.

"But you…" Rhonda continued. "You still have that chance with the man you love. From everything you've said, it sounds like this Janet woman was nothing more than a foolish attempt on his part to think he could live without you. Obviously, he realizes now that he can't. Seems to me the man's learned his lesson."

Carly had nothing to offer in response. Still, the older woman words did stir her inner ponderings. Rhonda watched a brooding Carly for a few moments before realizing it was time for her to leave.

"Well, Carly, it's time I head out on my way," she said.

Carly dragged her mind away from her deep musings to refocus her attention on the woman before her.

"It was very nice meeting you and talking to you," Rhonda said as she stood up.

Carly followed suit and stood up too; grabbing her cup of coffee with her.

"Same here," she said genuinely.

Rhonda hesitated a moment before she spoke again.

"Listen, I hope I didn't overstep my boundaries during our conversation," she said. "It's just that I'm a hopeless romantic who can't help but root for true love."

"No, you didn't overstep at all," Carly assured her with a smile. "It's really been a pleasure talking to you."

Rhonda returned Carly's smile and nodded.

"Oh, and before I leave…" Rhonda started as she reached into her purse. "Let me give you my business card," she said as she handed one over to Carly. "I own a small nail salon downtown. Right now we're offering a free pedicure with every manicure as part of our springtime special. The offer ends on Saturday, February eighth. Why don't you come down one of these days? I'll do you one better and throw in the manicure for free too. It'll give us a chance to chat some more. What do you say?"

"Wow, that's very generous of you," Carly said, looking up from the business card that read 'Rhonda's Nails' in big bold letters. She smiled. "I'd like that. Thank you."

"Of course, Sugar," Rhonda said, "Like I said: I'm a sucker for romance, and I want to know how this one turns out; because let me tell you, this Jack and Carly love story sure don't seem like it's over to me."

There was something about the way Rhonda had uttered those words. Almost immediately, a mystical feeling swept through the air, as if some accurate, star-crossed prophecy had just been revealed.

"Take care of yourself, you hear?" Rhonda added. "And you make sure you come by real soon."

Carly simply nodded. Rhonda gave Carly a final smile and a wink before walking away.

Jack looked over the horizon to where Elm Street intersected Cedar Avenue for any trace of movement. More particularly, he was hoping for a certain silver sedan to turn the corner as he stood outside the driveway of the Milltown house. However, there was no such luck. The usually quiet street barely showed any signs of activity, except for a couple of distinctly darker colored cars that had passed through. He glanced down at his watch. Five more minutes is all he could spare before he had to be on his way to work. Where was Carly? By now he knew her well enough to know how her mind operated, and his every instinct told him that she was purposely avoiding being there until she knew he was well on his way to work. It couldn't have been clearer if someone had hit him with a hammer that she was extremely upset with him for some reason. Obviously, whatever had caused it had happened in between their first and second phone calls. It irked him that he had no idea what was going on, and it didn't help that it seemed like he wouldn't find out anytime soon. She had gone from offering her support and willing to be there while he told the kids, to suddenly wanting to have no part in the conversation.

Speaking of the kids…it was a done deal. Jack had finally broken the news to them, and as expected, they'd taken it very well. He'd taken them both to the farm, knowing that they'd have some privacy there (and wanting to avoid Al's at all costs given the threat of a run-in with Janet) and spilled the beans over three cups of hot cocoa as they sat around the Snyder dining table. While sitting there together, Jack could've sworn that he had seen hints of Sage trying very hard to stifle a celebratory grin on more than one occasion. Of course both she and Parker had admitted that they'd seen the breakup coming a long time ago; Sage even clarifying that she had known it since the day she'd found out that he was planning to marry Janet. Jack couldn't help but throw her a sheepish smile, knowing he couldn't hold that fact against his daughter. However, as much as he loved his little girl, he did breathe a sigh of relief when Parker had softly kicked her under the table when she'd started to question her father if part of the reason for this breakup had been due to his lingering feelings for their mother. While his fatherly instincts had remembered to lightly chastise Parker for his actions, he had to admit that he was glad to have dodged that question…at least for now.

As he stood there by the driveway of the home he still considered his own, he felt a restless stirring in his heart that he knew wouldn't go away until he'd talked to Carly face to face. He felt like a fool for waiting there for her, knowing quite definitely that she wasn't going to show, but it didn't stop him from hoping and longing to see her face. In any case, she didn't come, and a few more empty minutes later, he was forced to tear himself away and get into his car. Duty called.

Carly's eyes were peeled as she rounded the corner and cruised down her street. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found the driveway and surrounding curb area empty. She knew she couldn't avoid Jack forever, but at least for now, she'd dodged him for another day. Carly came home to find both the kids downstairs. Sage was sitting at the dining table working on her homework and Parker was sitting on the couch, his injured leg propped up on a sofa cushion on the couch, playing a video game.

Upon seeing her mother walk through the door, Sage shot out of her chair and bolted straight toward the front door.

"Mom! Guess what?" she said excitedly.

Her daughter's bubbling enthusiasm told Carly immediately what she was so giddy about.

"What honey?" she asked, although she had no intention of letting this conversation take off.

"Daddy finally came to his senses and is going to divorce Janet!"

And…there it was.

"Oh, Sage. Please tell me you didn't respond like this when your father told you," Carly asked imploringly.

"Well…" Sage began with an impish grin. "It was really hard…but I think I hid it pretty well, even though I'm so beyond _psyched_ that it finally happened! Now you and daddy can get back together!"

Carly winced.

"Sage, it doesn't work that way," she explained tiredly. "Your dad and I…listen, we've already talked about this. It's just not going to happen, Sweetheart."

"Why not?' Sage demanded. "It's so _obvious_ that he loves you, and no matter what you say, I _know _you still love him."

"Well, honey, sometimes love just isn't enough."

Sage bit her lower lip.

"Isn't that a song title?' she asked thoughtfully.

"Yes," Carly said with a sigh. "But I think the message is rather fitting here."

"But mom…" Sage started to contest.

Carly held up a hand to stop her daughter from delving into further debate.

"Sage, that's enough; end of discussion. I have to go get ready for dinner. It's just going to be you and Parker tonight, okay?"

"Where are you going?" Sage asked immediately.

"Um, I'm having dinner with Neal."

"You mean like a date?" Sage questioned cautiously.

"No!" Carly responded right away. "No, it's not a date. Neal is my friend and we're having dinner together. Lily and one of Neal's friends are going to be there as well. Listen, I'll have my cell with me the whole time, so you and Parker can reach me anytime if you need anything, alright?"

"So, is it a double date?" Sage rephrased.

"No," Carly said immediately. "It's not _any_ kind of date. It's just four adults hanging out and having dinner together."

Sage seemed somewhat convinced and nodded acceptingly.

"Now, I'm going to go upstairs and get changed," Carly stated. She turned her attention to Parker, who despite focusing on the video game, had kept one ear trained on the conversation taking place between his mother and sister. "Parker, why don't you guys decide what you're going to have for dinner?" she asked.

"What do you want, Squirt?" he asked Sage; his eyes glued to the TV screen.

Sage rolled her eyes in response.

"I've told you like a thousand times: don't call me that!"

"Okay you two, that's enough." Carly intervened. "Just talk it over and I'll give Parker the money before I leave."

With that, Carly headed for the stairs and made straight for the shower.

Jack strolled through the double glass doors of the Oakdale Police Station ready to start his shift with a clear mission at hand, back-burnering everything else that was sure to distract him from doing his job. His eyes immediately scanned the precinct for Tyler Hopkins. He spotted the tall, blonde-haired officer by the coffee machine.

"Hopkins, did Forensics send over the evidence packet from the Montgomery case yet?" he called out.

"Yes, Detective Snyder. It's on your desk," Officer Hopkins replied as he joined Jack there with a cup of coffee in hand.

Jack picked up the big manila envelope in front of his computer and emptied its contents on his desk: A two-page typed report; a DVD case; and about a dozen large, magnified surveillance photos chronicling Craig's attack. Jack quickly glossed over the report.

"I thought as much," he said with a look of disappointment. "Fingerprint analysis confirms that the guy was wearing gloves."

Officer Hopkins began briefing Jack on a few details as he picked up the photos and began leafing through them.

"Forensics went through the surveillance video from Mr. Montgomery's attack last night in the Lakeview parking lot," he explained, gesturing to the images that Jack was holding. "These were captured from the two security cameras positioned on opposite corners of the lot. Rivers enhanced the lighting and zoomed in on the guy as best as he could, but the fact that he's wearing a ski mask makes him nearly impossible to identify…unless Mr. Montgomery can figure him out solely by looking at his eyes."

"Hmm…" Jack continued to study a close-up shot of the offender's mostly concealed face. "Did you send a copy of the DVD and pictures down to the evidence room?"

"Yes sir."

"Where's the Chief?"

"She's at a meeting with the Commissioner," Hopkins informed. "She said she'd be back by seven o'clock or so."

"Okay. I'm going to look over this surveillance footage," Jack said and gestured toward the interrogation room. "If anyone calls my desk, take a message."

"Yes Detective," Hopkins replied before walking away.

Jack rounded to the other side of his desk and sifted through some folders sitting there. He soon found the one he was looking for and pulled it out as he gathered up all the evidence and redeposited everything into the manila envelope and headed into the interrogation room. Once inside, he shut the door and locked it. He then made his way over to the TV set in the corner of the room and popped the DVD into the player and grabbed the remote control. As the video started to play, he pulled up a chair a few feet away from the TV screen and focused all his attention on the footage rolling in front of him.

The unidentified man entered the parking lot by foot, gripping the brick in his gloved left hand. If he had driven himself to the Lakeview, he had opted to park his car outside on the street to keep it hidden from view. The plan made sense since it would eliminate the risk of having his license plate digits captured either by a camera or a live eyewitness. The man then hid behind an SUV parked diagonally across from Craig's car. Jack fast-forwarded until he saw Craig appear on the screen. Judging by the time counter playing at the bottom right of the surveillance footage, the man had waited nearly ten minutes for Craig to emerge. He then waited until Craig had shut his car door and settled into his car seat before blatantly heaving the brick toward the windshield. After it had cracked through the windshield and struck Craig, he waited a few seconds and watched what unfolded before bolting out the parking lot exit at warp speed.

Jack replayed the footage several times; fast-forwarding, rewinding, pausing, and playing snippets in slow motion. He finally drew two conclusions: firstly; the guy appeared to be left-handed, and secondly; he seemed to know ahead of time that Craig was on his way to the parking lot and seemed to have planned the attack accordingly. Once he was satisfied with all the information he had gathered from the video, he retrieved the DVD from the player and once again stuffed it into the manila envelope with the photographs. He grabbed the case file from the table, made his way out of the interrogation room, and dropped it on his desk.

"Hopkins," he called; getting the attention of the officer and waving him over to where he stood.

"Yes Detective," Hopkins said once he came face to face with Jack.

"I'm going to head over to the Lakeview and talk to Montgomery. In the meantime, I need you to have the files from the Nichols kidnapping and the bank robbery case on Market on my desk."

"You got it, Detective."

"Thanks," Jack said, giving the officer a pat on the arm before he walked away.

Freshly showered and all dressed, Carly made her way back down the stairs; a black leather coat draped over her arm, and a matching black clutch purse in hand. The kids were still sitting exactly where they'd been when she'd walked in. Sage looked up from her books as her mother reemerged into the living room.

"Aww, Mom, you look so pretty!" she exclaimed.

Carly grinned. Sage was never one to throw away a compliment; it was one of her most endearing qualities.

"Thank you, Sweetheart," she said.

It had taken her a while to pick out her outfit for the night. The fact that it was a business slash casual dinner had made it a tough choice for her. Carly knew that neither Lily nor Neal would be particular about what she was wearing, but she wanted everything to go right tonight. After all, she was now a businesswoman, and she took that title quite seriously! She had initially decided to go with a pantsuit, but had soon decided against it in favor of a dress. She pulled out one of her favorites: a simple, yet elegant one that she felt was the right choice for the occasion. It was a sleeveless, fitted, v-necked satin dress that she had bought at Fashions about a year or so ago. She had paired the dress with a pair of high-heeled black dress shoes. Around her neck, she had chosen to wear a thin gold chain with a heart-shaped pendant. She had gathered up a few strands of her blonde hair from either side of her face and held them together with a black butterfly clip. That pretty much completed her ensemble: sophisticated but understated.

The children still hadn't decided between ordering Chinese food or Pizza, so Carly left it to them to compromise on a choice. She made sure to give Parker enough money to pay for either and capped it off with her instructions for the night. Parker cheekily recited his mother's words with her; earning a disapproving look from Carly. After giving Sage a kiss on the cheek, and Parker an affectionate hair tousle, Carly headed out the door.

Jack stood on the fifth floor of the Lakeview and knocked on the ever familiar hotel room door. As was customary, he dreaded seeing the smug face of the man he anticipated would answer it; the very face he was ironically stuck protecting as an unbiased officer of the law. The sooner he solved this case, the better…for his own sanity's sake.

"Why Jack! It's always a treat to see you!" Craig Montgomery greeted; a thick white bandage still wrapped around his forehead.

"If that's sarcasm talking, Craig: the feeling is mutual," Jack said; letting himself in before being invited to do so.

"Well, please: come on in," Craig remarked, rolling his eyes and shutting the door behind them.

Jack stopped short at the sight of Johnny and his nanny sitting at the small dining table in one corner of the room with a storybook in front of them.

"Hey there, Johnny," Jack greeted. The little boy simply smiled and waved. "Hi," Jack said with a small smile and nodded to the older woman sitting next to him.

"How do you do?" the woman replied.

Jack turned to face Craig.

"We need to talk, Craig. Alone," he said; his expression conveying the confidential nature of their impending discussion.

Craig seemed to get the message.

"Um, right. Of course," he acknowledged. "Uh, Karen, would you mind taking Johnny to his bedroom and finishing the rest of the story there?"

"Not at all, Mr. Montgomery," the woman said; immediately standing up and leading Johnny out of the room by his hand along with his storybook.

Once they were out of sight, Craig narrowed his eyes on Jack.

"So, I assume you have big news for me..?" he asked impatiently.

However, instead of going into case details, Jack walked away from Craig and toward the desk that sat across from the bed.

"All in good time, Craig. But right now, I just need for you to sit down right over there and stay out of my way so that I can work," Jack said, gesturing towards the far end of the bed.

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of latex gloves and slipped them on each hand. Craig watched him with a mixture of confusion and piqued curiosity.

"You know, I _do_ have the heater going," he remarked sarcastically.

Jack chose to ignore him. He got down on all fours in front of the desk and examined the bottom, letting his hands glide through all the grooves and crevices and across the back.

"Something I can help you with, Jack?" Craig asked; annoyed by the other's man silence.

"Yeah. Sit down and shut up," Jack replied; not bothering to cast him a glance as he continued to concentrate on his task.

When he came up empty-handed after going through the exterior of the desk, he moved over to the table in the corner of the room and gave it the same inspection.

"Boy, you're in bloodhound mode," Craig commented after a brief twenty-second silence. "Do you want to tell me _what the hell_ you're doing?"

Jack groaned.

"No. Now, do what I said," Jack reiterated; still not looking up.

"Pffft: cops," Craig muttered as he finally took a seat on his bed and folded his arms with a childlike pout.

Jack thoroughly checked the bottom of the table and the surrounding chairs. He got up when it appeared that nothing suspicious lingered there. He then continued over to the nightstand by the bed and let his hand slide under the crack that separated the bottom of the cabinet from the carpeted floor.

"Ah!" he exclaimed softly as his hand finally seemed to find what he was looking for. He struggled slightly as he worked on freeing the affixed object from its firmly implanted hiding place. He stood up and held it out in front of him.

"What the hell..?" a bewildered Craig said as he jumped off the bed and walked over to join Jack. "Is that...is that a bug?" he asked; startled.

Jack nodded.

"Someone's been listening in on your conversations, Craig. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he's listening in on us right now, and my hunch is that whoever's been keeping tabs on you is also the same person who threw that brick through your windshield." He paused as he purposely brought the bug closer to his mouth and spoke into it as if sending a direct message to the listener at the other end of the device. "But don't worry: I'm on to him, and I'll make damn sure I find him."

This time a stunned, speechless Craig sunk onto his bed without the need for instruction.

Jack used the musical silence to his advantage and disengaged the two little wires that hung from the device. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a clear ziplock bag and deposited the disconnected microphone into it before sealing it shut and stowing it back. Then he once again dropped to his knees and slid his hands across the bottom of the bed frame.

"Wait…what are you doing now?" Craig piped up again, still a little dazed. "We already found the microphone."

Jack sighed deeply.

"You know, Craig, I was actually starting to like you for a while there when you had your mouth closed. And this isn't _Lethal Weapon_: Parts one through four; _we_ didn't find anything. I'm checking to see if there's another wire planted in here someplace. Sometimes tappers are known to plant multiple bugs just in case one of them glitches out."

Craig quickly hopped off the bed. He seemed to have fully regained his wits about him and Jack could see a surge of intense anger spread across his face.

"That son of a bitch!" he fumed. "He'll stop at nothing to prove that I'm an unfit father and take my son away from me! Well, I'll be damned if I let him get away with it this time!" he declared as he stalked angrily towards the door.

Jack quickly sprung to his feet and cut him off before he had a chance to open it.

"What the hell are you doing, Craig? I thought Officer Hopkins already made it clear to you that Dusty has solid alibis! We've cleared him from the suspect list."

"And you have _no_ idea how upset I was with that little oversight," Craig remarked hotly.

"Actually, I do," Jack assured him. Hopkins-who had been the unfortunate bearer of the news- had given him a very good idea of how peeved Craig had been when he and Jack had touched base over the phone last night. "I figured that you'd realize how ridiculous you're being once you had a chance to sleep on it. Dusty has nothing to do with this."

Craig scoffed with indifference.

"And _I_ figured that you'd realize what a bunch of baloney that is once you'd ran the fingerprint test on that damn brick," he retorted, followed by a pause. "Unless of course the Oakdale P.D. was unable to get it done on time due to their usual incompetence..." he added smugly.

Jack gritted his teeth at the blatant insult.

"The fingerprint analysis is done, Craig," he informed him in a low, trained voice. "It came up empty: the person who threw it was wearing gloves."

Craig grew pensive for a moment.

"Okay, so even a neanderthal like Dusty had the presence of mind to cover his tracks," he conceded bitterly. "That doesn't mean you should let that scoundrel roam around freely! He belongs in the slammer!"

Jack was starting to lose his patience. The very act of Craig Montgomery issuing prison sentences to other civilians was irony at its worst.

"Damn it, Montgomery! What part of _'alibis' _-plural: alibis- don't you get?" Jack asked, raising his voice.

Craig rolled his eyes in aggravation.

"Oh, please! The idiot could've _easily_ paid these guys off! Hell, I've done it before!"

Jack wasn't sure Craig had even caught his own incriminating admission in the midst of his vehement rantings.

"These were _eyewitnesses_, Craig. We don't just believe any Tom, Dick, and Harry who emerges off the streets and vouches for a guy. We followed through on our leads and their stories check out."

"So then, where was Dusty when I was getting a brick hurled at my head?" Craig demanded.

That particular question and the accompanying images playing in his head created a queasy feeling in the pit of Jack's stomach.

"That's confidential information," he said sternly.

There was a momentary silence in the room before Craig piped up again.

"Even if he didn't do it himself, the coward must've had one of his cronies do his dirty work for him!" he declared angrily.

Jack's head was starting to throb as he listened to Craig continue to bitch and whine about Dusty.

"You need to get over your obsession with Donovan, Craig. If he wanted you dead, he would've done it already." He paused. "This is an outside job. It seems to be someone else who has a pretty strong grudge against you. The tricky part is weeding him out from amongst the several other hundreds you've managed to tick off in your lifetime."

"The only one with a grudge against me right now is Dusty and he's not getting away with this!" Craig maintained stubbornly as he took another step towards the door.

Jack clenched his teeth and glared at the man who could best be described as the bane of his existence.

"So what're you going to do when you go down and see Donovan?" he challenged. "Threaten him? Hit him? Victim or not, I'll haul you down to the station and throw you into a cell myself if that happens. And then, you can be _damn_ sure he'll regain custody of your son while you sit in jail!"

There was a long silence between the two men. Jack's words seem to slowly sink into Craig's head and he finally held up his hands in surrender.

"Duly noted, Detective," he acquiesced bitterly.

"Good," Jack said with a sigh of relief and pointed to the bed again. "Now, why don't you go back over there and sit down and shut up and let me work, alright?"

Craig frowned.

"I have to use the bathroom," he muttered grouchily as he headed in that direction.

"You know, Craig. That's the best idea you've had since I got here," Jack said with a genuinely content smile. "Take your time in there. In fact, why don't you take a couple of magazines or maybe an encyclopedia with you," he called out after him.

"Gotta love that infectious Snyder man wit," Craig called back over his shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

Jack shook his head and scoffed lightly at the remark before crouching back down and surveying the entire underside of the bed frame.

Craig reemerged about five minutes later, just as Jack had finished going through the last unsearched area of the room.

"Find anything?" he asked as he walked back into the room.

"Nope; looks like it was just the one. I also checked for micro cameras, but couldn't find anything," Jack informed him. "Now, there's something I'm going to need from you."

"What's that?" Craig asked cautiously.

"Your cell phone."

"What? Why?"

"I'm going to need to take it in to forensics," Jack explained. "There's a chance that it might be tapped too."

Craig snickered.

"That's ridiculous! No one's had access to my phone except me. It's beyond impossible that someone actually got a hold of it and snuck a wire in there when I wasn't looking."

Jack rolled his eyes.

"You've been watching too many of those old James Bond movies, Craig. This is 2010. You don't need to manually insert a wire into a cell phone to listen in on conversations. All you need is access to someone's phone account and…" He stopped short of finishing the sentence. "You know what? I'm not going to give you any tips."

"But, all my business contacts are saved on here!" Craig whined.

Jack groaned.

"It's only for the night. I'll have Forensics pull up all your contacts when they go through it and make sure they store all the information into your new phone. Someone will bring it by here tomorrow morning."

"You're buying me a new phone?" Craig asked surprised.

"No. The department is going to issue you a phone while we hold onto yours. We'll reenter all your contact info; the only difference is that the account will be confidential and won't be connected to a commercial cell phone provider. This way, no one has access to your phone conversations."

"Except the good men in blue," Craig added.

Jack smiled wryly.

"Well, we do respect the privacy of our citizens. Let's hope you behave yourself so it won't have to come to that."

"I'm assuming you'll hold onto my phone until the culprit is caught, then?" Craig asked.

"Yes," Jack said plainly.

"And God knows how long that'll take," Craig mumbled sardonically.

Jack shot Craig a loathsome glare.

"Like you can't afford another one. Now, hand it over," he said; extending his hand.

Craig let out a drawn out groan as he reached into the inner lining of his coat pocket and pulled out his phone.

"Don't smudge the screen," he warned, as Jack took it from him and slipped it into his own pocket.

"Whatever," Jack said indifferently, as he unzipped his jacket and pulled out a file that had been resting against his chest. "Moving on…"

"Oooh, neat trick," Craig mocked.

"You seriously are the most annoying human being on the planet, you know that?" Jack asked rhetorically. "I almost feel sorry for this guy for having to sit around and listen to your voice over a bug. Whatever you did to piss him off; it must've been pretty huge."

Craig opened his mouth to say something but Jack effectively cut him off.

"Enough nonsense," he said as he opened up the file. "So, we went through the surveillance tapes from both cameras from last night and captured some images of the guy. These are in sequence of how things unfolded. Just go through them and let me know if you recognize anything about him."

Craig stared at Jack as though he'd just sprouted another head.

"Well, gee, Jack. Considering that all I can see of the guy are his eyes and part of his nose, I guess he could be any one of my ninja friends," he cracked sarcastically.

Jack stood there and wondered whether the words "serve and protect" should be justifiably exempt when it comes to some people—more specifically the likes of Craig Montgomery, who most likely was reaping whatever was coming to him. He had to remind himself again that he couldn't let his personal feelings for Craig cloud his judgment from bringing a criminal to justice; even if he was essentially just protecting one known criminal from another. The irony of the situation was almost embarrassing for someone who took pride in his job.

"Look at his eyes, Craig," Jack instructed, ignoring his internal conflicts. "Sometimes it's pretty easy to superimpose other concealed facial features and recognize someone just by observing his eyes."

"You really expect me to recognize the guy from the quality of these pictures?" Craig griped. "Where'd you have them developed? Walmart?"

_I will not punch him in the mouth. I will not punch him in the mouth. I will not punch him in the mouth._

Jack uttered the incantation over and over in his head before he continued to explain his findings to the jackass standing before him.

"The incident happened at _night_, Craig. It was dark out. The cameras are positioned pretty far away from where you were parked. Now, I know you don't have much to go by, but does anything about the guy: eyes, clothes, body posture, remind you of anyone you might know?"

Craig shook his head.

"No."

"Also, if you look at these pictures from start to finish, it's pretty obvious that the guy's a leftie. Does that help narrow it down at all?"

"No."

The back-to-back one-worded answers were hardly useful, but oh-so-beautiful nonetheless.

"Now, going back to that first picture," Jack said, pulling it to the top from the ones Craig was holding in his hands, "it's obvious that he walked into the parking lot; which means he either parked his car outside the Lakeview parking lot; or he had someone drop him off; or he walked all the way over here. Either way, he had obviously been listening in on the wire planted under the nightstand and knew you were on your way down to the parking lot that night ahead of time. That gave him plenty of time to prepare for his bricking move."

Craig simply nodded as he continued going through the rest of the pictures again. Jack glanced at the well-dressed man standing in front of him and sensed that looking at images of his own attack had ignited something that resembled a combination of fear and insecurity inside him.

"Do you think he's working alone?" Craig asked.

"Yeah," Jack said, nodding.

"What makes you think that?"

"Call it a hunch. My gut tells me that this guy is keeping a pretty low profile and flying solo."

"Based on what?"

Jack simply glared back.

"So, you don't think there's any chance that it could've been one of Du-" Craig started to say cautiously.

"No!" Jack said firmly, cutting him off.

He was beyond relieved when the chiming ring from his cell phone interrupted their ongoing talk. He reached into his jeans pocket and fished it out.

"Snyder." He paused as he listened to the voice at the other end of the line. "Quincy, hi. Are you on your way?" Another pause. "Great. I'll meet you down in the lobby. Okay. Bye."

"What was that about?" Craig asked immediately.

"Your bodyguard's on his way," Jack responded.

"My 'bodyguard?'" Craig repeated in bewilderment.

"Yeah. We're going to have a guy stationed outside your room at all times. We'll have one officer pull the evening shift and another one pull the day shift."

"Why, Jack, that's very thorough of you," Craig stated with mock sentimentality.

"It was Margo's idea, not mine," Jack clarified.

"Wow, my sister went all out, didn't she? I didn't know she loved me so much."

"I hate to burst your bubble, Craig, but I think she's doing it for Johnny's sake. She doesn't want to see anything happen to that little boy all because his father has gone out and done something stupid and incurred a maniac's wrath."

"And here I thought you were on my side," Craig said, shaking his head.

Jack finally felt like he had said what he needed to say and done what he had needed to do. There was no further need for him to stand there and breathe the same air as Craig Montgomery any longer.

"Okay, Craig, I've got to get going," he said. "Officer Quincy is on his way over right now. I'm going to meet him down in the lobby and go over a few things with him first. He'll knock on your door and introduce himself when he gets here to start his shift. I'll have the guy who relieves him in the morning bring over your new phone. In the meantime, I don't want you going anywhere without your police escort, got that?"

"Aww, you're not going to stay for dinner?" Craig asked with fake disappointment.

"I wish I could, but I'm all Montgomeried out for one night, thanks," Jack returned, mirroring the same phony sentimentality.

"Your loss," Craig said with a carefree shrug.

And faster than a speeding bullet, Jack got the hell out of there.


	16. Brutal Honesty and Literal Metaphors

_**Author's Note**- This chapter is dedicated to Beetlejuice, one of the sweetest and most loving black labs I have ever met in my life. Sure, he's kept me from posting a chapter over the past few weeks, but I've so enjoyed all the time I've spent with him since then. Here's hoping he'll bring as much love and joy to his newly adopted family as he has to me! God, I love that dog!_

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN: BRUTAL HONESTY AND LITERAL METAPHORS**

Carly walked through the large main doors of the Lakeview and into its stylishly decorated lobby. She glanced over at the tall grandfather clock that sat next to the reception desk and read the time: it was a quarter to six, which meant that she was early for her dinner meeting. She knew for sure that she didn't want to be ridiculous and knock on Neal's hotel room door so soon; after all, a lady likes to be fashionably late—if even by a minute or two! So instead of heading for the elevators, she settled for whiling away the next fifteen minutes by sitting at the bar and maybe ordering a club soda or something of the sort. She wandered past the lounge and toward the barstools where she instantly recognized the profile of a man who was sitting there with his back to the main lobby.

"Hi Neal," she greeted as she approached him.

He turned around immediately and grinned.

"Hello Carly," he returned, and stood up out of courtesy. "You look beautiful as always."

"Thank you," she said, accepting the compliment with a gracious smile. She paused when her eyes fell on the half filled highball glass resting on the counter in front of his seating place. "Having a preliminary drink?"

Neal nodded.

"I absolutely need it," he explained. "I'm just now getting back from the construction site. Needless to say we've been hit with one crisis after another all afternoon. I reckoned a few swigs of bourbon were just what I needed to help loosen me up before our dinner."

"I'm so sorry, Neal," Carly offered as she stroked his arm sympathetically.

"Thank you, but I think my luck is starting to change," Neal replied with a confident smile.

"How so?" Carly asked.

"Well, urban legend has it that when a man happens upon a beautiful woman at a bar, it's an omen that his fortunes are beginning to turn for the better," he revealed with a twinkle in his eyes.

Carly laughed softly.

"Really? I don't think I've ever heard that one before," she replied.

Neal nodded with mock seriousness.

"Oh, yes, it's very widespread in the U.K."

"So, then, wouldn't he have to be in England in order for it to work?" she asked, playing along.

Neal briefly paused in thought.

"Actually, no. As long as he's a true Englishman at heart, he's granted its utilization regardless of where he might be on the globe. _Furthermore, _if she'll let him buy her a drink—virgin only, of course—then I'm sure it'll only boost his prospects in time for dinner."

Carly laughed again.

"So, will you join me?" Neal asked with a smile. "Please?"

"Well, I actually made my way over here because I didn't want to show up at your door so early," she admitted. "But, since we're here…I'd love to!" she beamed.

"Wonderful!" Neal replied. "Allow me," he insisted as he held out the barstool next to his for Carly.

"Thank you," she said as she sat down next to him and set her clutch down on the empty stool on her other side. She slid off her jacket and set it down on the same stool right next to her clutch. "Tell me, Neal…this woman: does she have to be having a good day for this charm to take full effect?"

Neal looked at her with a hint of confusion.

"You know, I'm not sure…why do you ask?" he wondered aloud.

"Well, because I've had a pretty crappy afternoon myself."

"But you seemed so happy when I saw you earlier," he recalled. "What changed?"

Carly let out a drawn out sigh.

"Actually, today has pretty much been a rollercoaster of highs and lows since I got out of bed at the break of dawn. You just happened to catch me at a high point. Lily and I had just walked into our boutique as its owners for the first time, so of course I was excited about that when we met up with you earlier today. Since then, things have pretty much been in the toilet."

"Would it help to talk about it?" Neal asked with a look of concern.

Carly shook her head.

"I'd rather try and forget about it all, if you don't mind," she requested gently.

"Of course," Neal obliged readily. "What do you say I buy you that drink instead?"

"I'd like that," Carly said with a grateful smile.

"Maggie!" Neal called to the woman who had just delivered a drink to the only other patron who was sitting at the bar all the way on the other side.

Maggie walked in their direction and came to a standstill in front of them on the other side of the counter.

"Another round for you, Mr. Stokes?" she asked.

"Yes please," Neal said before turning to Carly. "And whatever this lovely lady's drinking pleasure is for the night as well," he added.

"What can I get for you, Ma'am?" Maggie asked.

"I'll have a Virgin Manhattan, please," Carly informed her.

"Another shot of bourbon on the rocks and a Virgin Manhattan coming right up," Maggie acknowledged with a smile before she walked away to prepare their drinks.

"So, is your friend Alex all settled into his room?" Carly asked Neal, hoping to divert the focus away from both their bleak afternoons.

Neal nodded.

"Yes. Actually, I called him right after I left your boutique to let him know we were having company for dinner. Needless to say he was quite thrilled; especially when I told him that you were one of the ladies joining us."

Carly's puzzled expression told Neal he needed to elaborate.

"You see, I've mentioned you to him before," he said, looking slightly bashful.

"What did you tell him?" Carly asked, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious.

"I told him that I met a really fascinating woman the last time I was here in Oakdale and that I was very much looking forward to seeing her again while I was back in town."

"Oh."

It was all Carly could offer in response; accompanied by a nervous smile.

"Carly," Neal began slowly. "I think we both know by now that nothing's changed for me since the last time I was here. I would still very much like for there to be something more between us."

"Neal…" Carly started to say before he held up his hand and interjected.

"No, listen. I think I already have a pretty good idea of what you're going to say," he continued. "But I just thought that I should at least ask for my own sake." He paused. "Is there a chance that you may ever change your mind?"

Carly looked at him apologetically.

"I don't think so," she said softly. "I'm sorry, Neal. I want to be completely honest with you right away because the last thing I want to do is lead you on. I really like you. I like talking to you and I enjoy spending time with you. I just…as far as a relationship goes: I can't see it ever happening. And I know that a lot of people use the whole 'it's not you, it's me' cliché, but for me, it's a lot deeper and more complicated than that."

Carly felt terrible as the words were coming out of her mouth. Subconsciously, she had had an inkling that this conversation was prone to come up sooner or later, so she felt a strange sense of relief that it was finally being addressed; but at the same time, she hated having to turn a good guy like Neal down. However, instead of looking wounded by the rejection, Neal simply nodded in understanding.

"Well, you can't blame a guy for trying," he said with a small smile.

"I hope this doesn't change anything between us," Carly added; slightly worried that the exchange may ruin their future dynamic in some form.

"Not at all," Neal assured her. "If being a friend is what it takes to remain a part of your life, then I'll just have to learn to live with that. Not to mention the fact that we'll soon also be doing business together."

Just as Carly was about to respond, she noticed Maggie heading their way with the drinks. After thanking the woman, Neal slightly swiveled his body in Carly's direction so that he was facing her and lifted up his glass.

"I'd like to make a toast if I may," he motioned.

Carly raised her own glass in response and waited for Neal to deliver his words.

Jack stepped out of the elevator and ventured into the lobby area. Officer Quincy had called him while he had been standing in Craig's room about two minutes ago and informed him that he was only a short car ride away from pulling into the Lakeview. Jack patrolled the immediate area for any sign of Quincy amongst the hotel guests, but when there was no trace of him, concluded that he likely hadn't made his way indoors yet. It was far too soon anyway. He was just relieved that he had been able to use that phone call as a cue to rid him from the annoying presence of Craig Montgomery. He could almost feel his aura start to glow, until just like that, it shattered on the ground when his eyes froze on the only couple sitting at the bar.

Jack underwent an insanely wide range of emotions over the span of the following few seconds. Initially his heart had skipped a beat when he saw Carly sitting there cross-legged on that barstool. He took in the sight of her, his eyes moving upward from her black heel-clad feet; to her silky smooth legs; and up to her partially exposed, flawlessly toned thighs; until they finally lingered hungrily over that perfect v-shaped plunge of her tightly fitted dress that revealed just the right amount of cleavage to make a guy yearn for more. His mouth went dry and his heart rate intensified as he soaked in every inch of her beauty. Her long blonde hair had been partly pulled back into a butterfly clip while the rest of the shiny golden strands cascaded freely over her shoulders. All he wanted to do in that moment was hoist her up on that counter, shed her hair of that clip, and ravish her right then and there and satisfy the burning desire that was starting to rage inside him. It was then that he noticed the drink in her hand and his lust-filled mind was instantly quelled with worry and concern. He breathed a sigh of relief when he recognized the drink that she was holding; he couldn't remember the name of it, but he was sure he'd come across the non-alcoholic cocktail before. Unfortunately, that momentarily sense of relief was almost immediately replaced by another emotion; a strong and ugly one. Jealousy. Jack couldn't help the strong jolts of jealousy that began coursing through his veins at the sight of the man accompanying her at the bar. There he was: Neal Stokes; the supposedly perfect gentleman with impeccable manners and the ability to charm every single woman in Oakdale with his wondrous wit, good looks, and endless charisma. They were facing each other; glasses hoisted in the air; smiling; and Jack looked on as if one of them had just hurled a shoe at his head. He couldn't hear what the debonair Englishman was saying over the bustle of the hotel guests who continued to weave their way around him, but by that smile on her face, he could tell that she was having a good time. And then, before he had a chance to fully reason with or stop himself, he was already walking in their direction.

Neal glanced over at Maggie to make sure that she was far away enough to be unable to hear his toast. Maggie was actively engaged in a conversation with the same man who had been sitting on the other side of the bar, so Neal pressed onward.

"Now, I know that friendship is as far as things will go between us; and it'll take some time, but I will learn to accept that," he began. "In any case, I'll gladly settle for working hand in hand with you as professionals. You are a remarkable woman, Carly Tenney, and I wish you nothing but the best. So, here's to friendship, and talent, and success, and to happiness."

Carly smiled brightly.

Jack finally stepped out of the background noise and came to a halt within an earshot distance of about twenty feet away. However, neither Carly nor Neal noticed his presence.

"Here's to our wonderful new relationship," Neal finished in conclusion as he brought his glass toward Carly's.

"It's a _little_ premature to drink to that, don't you think?" Carly asked, chuckling softly. "I mean, we haven't even made it official yet."

Neal gave her a warm smile.

"Carly, I have no doubts about where I stand," he assured her gently. "If I did, I wouldn't have given you my word of commitment. And trust me, where I come from, that's every bit as binding as signing your name along a dotted line…in blood."

Carly returned a small smile in response.

"I'm sorry, Neal," she apologized. "I trust you, I do. I just can't help being nervous. This is literally the only thing I have going for me in my life right now, and I just want everything to work out for us."

"I totally understand," he replied, covering her hand with his and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I guess we'll both feel better once we've sealed the deal. I know for a fact that I'm really looking forward to it."

"Me too," Carly said with a grin. "Not only for the obvious reasons that I've been gushing about endlessly for the past few days, but also because then we'll be ready to take it to the next level and go public. Then we can _finally_ put an end to all this secrecy and sneaking around."

"Amen," Neal agreed. "In the meantime: how about we just take things moment by moment?"

"What do you mean?" Carly asked with a curiously raised eyebrow.

"Well, for starters, how about we forget all about the rotten stuff and just allow ourselves to relax and have some fun this evening?" Neal suggested.

Carly nodded in agreement.

"Are you still riding on that lucky streak?" she wondered with a smirk.

"Yes ma'am," Neal admitted with a grin as he checked his watch. "Speaking of which, are you almost ready to go upstairs?" he asked.

"Yeah, we should get going," Carly said. She motioned toward their drinks. "Maybe we can defy etiquette just this once and gulp these down so that we can get outta here," she said, a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"I'm in," Neal agreed.

And right away, they picked up their glasses and guzzled down every remaining drop of liquid before setting them back down on the counter.

"I think my dear mother just rolled over in her grave," Neal said, looking slightly guilty. Carly stifled a chuckle out of respect. Neal looked across the bar. "Maggie," he called, waving an arm at her.

The woman looked over and quickly excused herself from the man she had still been talking to and walked towards Neal and Carly.

"All set, Mr. Stokes?" she asked.

"Yes, thanks. Can you charge these to my room, please?" he requested, gesturing to the empty glasses on the counter. "And also, I'll take those drinks I reserved for upstairs now."

"Okay, I'll be right back with those," Maggie said; immediately making her way to the ice bucket sitting on the center island and picking up the two bottles that were chilling inside. She came back over holding one in each hand.

"One bottle of Venetian champagne," she said, setting down the bottle in her left hand; and one bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider."

Carly waited until Neal had thanked Maggie and turned his attention back to her. She was touched by his presence of mind to order her a bottle of cider while the rest of them cracked open the expensive looking bottle of bubbly.

"That is so sweet! Thanks Neal."

"My pleasure," he said with a smile.

They both got up from their barstools and gathered their things: Carly picking up her clutch and jacket, and Neal grabbing the two bottles of champagne and cider.

However, once she turned around, the smile that had been pasted on Carly's face quickly vanished and her eyes widened with a mixture of shock and surprise upon someone unexpected.

"Jack," she uttered as their gazes locked on each other.

Jack had stood motionlessly rooted in that exact spot from the moment he had heard Neal articulate the words "wonderful new relationship." From that sentence onward, everything he had heard had felt like another cut against his bare flesh.

The look he was giving Carly told her more than his words ever could in those moments. He was staring at her with an intensity that nearly threatened to burn a permanent scar on her face. She saw several emotions flicker across his eyes: confusion, anger, frustration, jealousy, and a distinct sense of betrayal. Carly was finding it almost brutal to hold any more eye contact with him.

Thankfully Neal had chosen to intervene.

"Evening Jack," he said, disrupting the powerful current between them.

Jack reluctantly broke his eyes away from Carly's face and acknowledged the man standing next to her.

"Neal," he replied with a curt nod.

Jack summoned every ounce of self control from within him to uphold his composure and resist the overwhelming urge to punch the living daylights out of the man standing in front of him. He turned his attention back to Carly, who stood there with an uncertain expression on her face.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked; an odd calmness in his voice.

"Actually, Jack, I'm kind of in the middle of some—"

"This'll only take a few minutes, Carly," he interrupted firmly.

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" she asked; almost borderline pleading, but Jack looked unmoved.

"I'd really like to talk now," he insisted fixedly.

Carly visibly weighed her thoughts.

"Please?" he added finally.

"Okay," she agreed with a sigh and turned her attention to Neal. "Neal, can I meet up with you in a few minutes?"

"Are you sure?" Neal asked reluctantly, casting a glance at Jack.

Jack glared at him in return. Carly was intent on dispelling the situation from turning any more awkward—or worse—as quickly as possible.

"I'm sure," she assured him with a series of nods. "I'll be up soon."

"Very well," Neal relented and walked away.

They stared at each other again; neither one knowing just where or how to begin.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Jack?" Carly asked finally, although she knew how redundant it was given that she knew exactly what was on his mind.

Jack chuckled quietly at the question.

"Oh…you know," he began, a strange acidity creeping into his voice. "I was just wondering how you were enjoying your evening."

"Just fine, thanks," she answered plainly.

"It seems like you and Neal have something very special planned," he added, and Carly could see the resentment in his eyes.

"Just how much of our conversation did you hear?" she inquired nervously.

"More than I would've liked to," he responded vaguely. He decided to cut to the chase. "What's going on with you and Neal?" he asked pointedly.

Carly sighed.

"Nothing," she said. "There's _nothing_ going on with us. We're just two friends hanging out together on a Friday evening. That's it."

"'That's it'?" he repeated, making no effort to hide his skepticism. "So this is just a strictly platonic, casual occasion then?"

"Yes," she voiced right away.

"Hmm. Let's see...two people of the opposite sex get gussied up and go out together for drinks and engage exclusively in conversation with each other for the night. You know, I do believe there's a word for it…" he insinuated sarcastically.

"It's _not_ a date, Jack," Carly clarified.

"Really? Because I'm flashing back to a couple of summers ago with you in a leopard print dress and..."

"_This_ time it isn't a date, Jack," Carly revised again.

"I would've found that easier to believe if a private invitation upstairs to a hotel room wasn't a part of the overall equation," he said bitterly. "Then again, I guess it shouldn't surprise me given that the guy hasn't exactly made his attraction a big secret or anything. I guess what _really _surprises me is that you were more than willing to take him up on it."

With that last sentence, he had jumped from referring to the situation in the third person to addressing her directly about it. It was a clear indication that things were on the verge of getting gritty and personal.

"Could we not do this here please?" she asked, looking around to see if they had drawn any attention.

Fortunately, none of the passersby seemed to have noticed the building tension between them in the midst of all the other activity, but Carly knew that if they continued to stand there and air out their issues, they would be showcasing a public spectacle in no time. Jack seemed to realize the same thing.

"Fine," he agreed. "We'll go someplace more private."

Without waiting for a confirmation, he took her hand in his and led her past the bar in the opposite direction from the lobby area. As they walked through the main kitchen holding hands, Carly got the distinct impression that Jack had happened upon her conversation with Neal at an inopportune moment and completely misinterpreted everything he had heard from that point on. She was also fairly certain that he hadn't caught on to their intentions to go into business together. She hoped that she could clear things up—some of them, at least—once they had come to a standstill in a more private environment. They crisscrossed their way through the busy kitchen and exited out the back door and finally stopped under the glow of the street lamps in the alleyway outside. Aside from a large dumpster that stood about fifty feet away near the brick wall that separated the Lakeview from its neighboring building, they were completely alone.

Jack turned to face Carly. He reached out and took her clutch from her, leaving her holding only her jacket.

"You should put that on," he recommended, a momentary softness in his tone. "It's freezing out here."

Carly silently did so as he watched. Once she had pulled it on, he returned the purse to her.

"Jack, I…"

"Why are you doing this, Carly?" he asked simultaneously.

Carly looked at him in confusion.

"Doing what?"

"Whatever you're doing with Neal," he said.

"What exactly do you think I'm doing with Neal, Jack?" she asked in irritation.

"Going to the charity benefit with him, meeting him for drinks at the Lakeview, heading up to his hotel room…"

Carly could feel traces of anger begin to stir inside her.

"For _your_ information: not _every _guy who takes a woman up to his hotel room is looking to get lucky. And not _every_ woman who accepts the offer is hoping to fall into bed with him." And then, before she could really think or stop herself, she spat it out. "Unless of course your insinuations are motivated by disturbing images of your _wife_ and Dusty Donovan together; or maybe your _wife_ and some nameless bellboy together: feel free to take your pick!"

Jack's eyes widened and his jaw dropped open in response.

"How do you know about all that?" he asked in total astonishment.

Carly couldn't think of any reasons to mask or downplay any knowledge she had gained regarding the Ciccone-Donovan-some random guy sordid affair during the trip down to her old club earlier that afternoon.

"I stopped by Metro to talk to Dusty about the taxes," she informed him. "I went to look for him in his office and the door was partially open and I heard him and Janet talking—well, more like arguing, actually."

"Right," Jack said with a nod, as though he already expected as much. "I'm sure the bellboy incident still isn't sitting very well with his ego."

Carly hesitated a moment before speaking up.

"Actually, he seemed even more upset about you," she told him.

"Me?" Jack asked, surprised. "Why me? Our marriage is over."

"I guess because the two of you came so close to reuniting last night," she managed to spell out.

Jack looked even more surprised. Carly could almost see his inner detective radar trigger on, like it often did when he suspected something was out of sorts in a situation.

"What exactly did Janet tell Dusty happened between her and me last night?" he asked.

Carly suddenly felt like she had been thrust with tattletale responsibilities and the feeling made her exceedingly uncomfortable.

"You know what, Jack? Forget I said anything. It's all been said and done anyway, right?"

"Carly, please: what did she tell Dusty?" he persisted.

Carly drew out a long sigh.

"She told him that as soon as she came home yesterday, you wanted more than anything to work on your marriage, but that she came clean to you about the affair and her feelings for Dusty. She told him that she had no intentions of getting back together with you because she only wanted to be with him. Dusty didn't seem to buy her whole story for some reason."

Jack looked at her incredulously as he absorbed this newly shared information.

"Wow."

He seemed to be stunned speechless beyond the use of that one word. Carly watched his face as it all began to sink in.

"Wow," he repeated, this time a little more quietly. "I honestly don't even know what to say right now…"

"You don't have to say anything," Carly said. "You don't owe me any explanations regarding your marriage."

Jack narrowed his eyes on her.

"Carly, Janet didn't confess anything to me voluntarily," he revealed. "I found out everything on my own."

This time it was Carly's turn to be surprised.

"What? She didn't tell you about Dusty herself?" she asked, despite her claim of not wanting to have any part in his marital affairs only moments earlier.

Jack shook his head.

"She didn't say anything to me about Dusty until I confronted her about it," he explained.

"So then how _did _you find out about it?" she asked a little too impatiently.

"Well, I can't believe I'm about to say this," Jack said with a chuckle, "but in a roundabout sort of way, it was actually thanks to Craig."

Carly looked utterly confused.

"Craig?" she asked. "He knows about all this?"

"No," Jack informed her. "Although, God help us all when he finds out. I'm already shuddering at all the insipid comments that are sure to fly my way." He refocused. "Anyway, it turns out that someone threw a brick through Craig's windshield a few nights ago. He didn't see who did it, but he's been adamantly claiming that it was Dusty. At the time, it was a pretty valid suspicion given that he and Dusty have been at other's throats because of Johnny again. So, I looked into Dusty's whereabouts during the time of the attack and…"

"…and you found out that Dusty was off in a hotel room in Miami with Janet…?" Carly finished.

Jack nodded.

"Who verified that? The bellboy?" she asked slowly.

Jack chuckled, although he knew that Carly's question hadn't intended to be comical.

"Not him specifically, but another one of his coworkers," he clarified. "Apparently he'd bragged to this guy about what he'd done…you know, with Janet…and his friend brought that up while I was questioning him over the phone about Dusty and his 'lady friend.' Imagine my surprise when I first heard about it," he said with a wry laugh.

"I'm guessing he didn't know that you were Janet's…" Carly started to ask.

"No," Jack said shaking his head. "And I had no intention of saying anything." He paused. "Although I _have _been wondering whether Janet would be interested to know that his name is Justin," he added.

They looked at each other for a moment before they broke into laughter at what felt like a solved mini-mystery. For about five or so seconds, they enjoyed the lightness that followed.

It was in that moment of clarity that Carly realized something: Jack seemed okay. He _really _seemed okay. For a man who had found out within the last day that his wife had not only been cheating on him with another man, but that she had also cheated on said other man with yet a third one; he was doing pretty damn okay. In fact, for a man whose marriage had just ended, she could see absolutely no traces of sadness or mourning there.

"So, did you find out who threw the brick at Craig's windshield?" she asked; slightly changing the subject, although her curiosity was genuinely piqued.

"No, we're still figuring that out," Jack said. "That's actually why I stopped by here: to talk to Craig. I was supposed to meet up with one of my officers to go over the case in the lobby when I...when I saw you and Neal…"

"Oh my gosh, Neal!" Carly exclaimed at the mention of his name. "You know what, Jack, I need to get going…"

"Carly…" Jack said softly. "Don't go. It's obvious that we still have a lot to talk about. Listen, I'll get someone to cover for me for a while. We can go someplace and just sit down and talk."

The hopeful look in his eyes only made her response that much harder.

"There's nothing left for us to talk about, Jack," she said. "Although, I'm glad that my incidental eavesdropping of Janet and Dusty's conversation helped shed some truth to things. Me and the truth working hand in hand…pretty ironic, huh?" she joked lamely.

Jack looked unaffected.

"Why is it so important for you to spend time with this guy?" he asked.

"I thought we went over this already, Jack," she said wearily.

"No, actually, we didn't," Jack replied. "Is it so that you can pretend there's nothing going on between us?" he asked pointedly.

Carly was dumbfounded at how forthright the question was.

"There's _nothing_ going on between us," she responded.

"Really?" Jack challenged. "So these kisses; these feelings we have for each other…they're all my head?"

"Don't talk to me about my feelings," Carly said, although she clearly knew that she was on the losing side of this will of words and emotions.

"Then _you_ tell me," Jack whispered, his voice thick with emotion as he moved closer to her. "How do you feel?"

Carly could feel his dark brown eyes start to drain out her willpower. She quickly looked away before she succumbed to their depths.

"I can't do this right now," she said quietly.

Although that was nowhere close to the response he was hoping to hear, Jack didn't push.

"You know, ever since Janet took off, I couldn't wait for her to come back," he started to explain. "I'd been trying endlessly to get in touch with her and talk to her every day since. And the sad thing is, all the effort I was putting into it wasn't as a husband who was missing his wife; but as a husband who was trying desperately to pull the plug on a dying marriage."

Carly looked up at him sharply.

"You mean..?" she started.

Jack nodded, comprehending exactly what she was wondering about.

"Meaning I had every intention of ending things with her before I ever found out about Dusty or this Justin guy." He paused. "Do you remember what I said to you the other day at the lake?" he asked. "'Even before I met her, it was too damn late.'"

Carly nodded her recollection.

"And it's true, Carly," he continued. "Even before I met her, this marriage was doomed." He paused reflectively. "You know, even now I'm not angry with Janet."

Carly wondered whether she'd heard that last bit correctly.

"I'm serious," he added for emphasis. "How can I be mad at her? Sure with all the lying and the sleeping around and all the excessive screaming she's been doing lately, my opinion of her has changed quite a bit. In fact, I feel like I don't even know her—like maybe I never really knew her to begin with, and am only just realizing that. But in the grand scheme of things, _I'm_ the reason things are the way they are right now. _I_ kept her trapped. Trapped in a superficial marriage where I said and did all the things that are expected from a married man…but when it came to actually meaning any of them, I struck out completely. No woman should have to flounder around in a loveless marriage. And that's essentially what we had: a loveless marriage. I know you don't believe me, but it's the God's honest truth. I cared about Janet, but I never loved her. How _could_ I love her when I was already in love with someone else?"

They stared at each other for a few moments before Jack spoke again.

"You'd think I would've learned something after what happened with Julia," he finished, shaking his head in disappointment.

Carly was speechless. Although Jack had only just revealed all these things to her, she felt like she had already known it all; known it all long before today.

"I heard you told the kids," she remarked, not quite knowing what else to say.

"Uh, yeah," he confirmed. "Needless to say neither one of them were specifically surprised or bummed out about it. Especially our daughter," he added with a chuckle.

Just then Jack's cell phone began to ring. He groaned as he reached into his jacket and fished it out of his pocket.

"It's probably Quincy. Just give me a second," he whispered apologetically as he answered it.

"Snyder…Hi Quincy…Oh, okay…You know what, I was in the lobby just earlier, but then I ran into someone and we got to talking…Do me a favor: can you stay put for a few minutes? I'll call you right back…Okay, bye." He hung up and stowed the phone back into his pocket. "Sorry about that," he said to Carly.

"No. It's fine," she replied. "Listen, it's obvious that we both have things we need to do and places we need to be…"

Carly instantly kicked herself for the way she'd phrased that last sentence as Jack visibly cringed in response.

"I'm assuming by that you mean that you're still headed upstairs to see Neal?" he asked, making no effort to hide his exasperation.

Carly held strong.

"Yes," she said plainly.

"What about us?" Jack asked firmly.

Something inside Carly finally snapped at that point.

"'What about _us_?'" she repeated, raising her voice. "You expect me to give up seeing Neal all because _you_ realized _you_ made a mistake by marrying Janet and suddenly feel nostalgic about what we once had?"

Jack was thunderstruck.

"What do you expect from me, Jack?" she continued. "You expect me to sit around single and alone and ready to pick up the pieces every time another one of your relationships falls apart? You're suddenly preaching to me about how we're meant to be together forever when you've _never_ been able to commit to us for more than a fortnight?"

Jack stood there in silence as her tongue continued to lash out.

"You know what? I won't do it! I _refuse _to be your rebound!" she said resolutely.

That one adjective was enough to provoke an immediate response from Jack.

"My _'rebound'_? Is that what you think you are to me: a 'rebound'?" he asked.

If she wasn't so self-aware at that moment, she would've sworn by the look on his face that she had just slapped him hard across the cheek. Still, she had started, and she wasn't backing down.

"That's _exactly_ what I think!" she replied. "Do you know what happened the last time you almost convinced me to give our unbreakable connection a chance? It ended up backfiring so badly that I don't think I've fully recovered even now. For more information, please feel free to refer to the wedding band still on your ring finger!" she spat out.

A stunned Jack looked down at the gold plated ring that glinted against the reflection of the street lights. With everything that had happened between last night and today, it had completely slipped his mind to take it off.

"I…I hadn't even thought about it," he said quietly. "I guess I've just been so used to it being there that I didn't even realize I was still wearing it."

"Exactly!" Carly said, her eyes shining. "We've been divorced for nearly _four_ years now, but you've managed to keep that finger cozy more than once since then, haven't you?"

Jack honestly didn't know how to react in that moment. Should he interrupt her and verbally make a case for himself? Or should he remove the ring in her presence and dispose of it to prove how little it meant that it was still on his finger for no other reason than because of his own absentmindedness?

"You have _no_ idea how it all affects me, do you?" Carly continued. "When you say things about how you'll always love me, or that we belong together forever, or when you tell me that we'll always be connected in our souls on your _wedding_ day to another woman right after you've taken vows to her? The truth is, you moved on with your life _despite_ knowing all of that, Jack, and now I'm trying to do the same. Don't you think I deserve that chance?"

Jack didn't directly answer the question.

"I'm admitting now that I made a mistake, Carly," he offered meekly instead. "A _huge_ mistake. Don't go down that same road and do what I did. If you actually think that a relationship between you and Neal will last a lifetime and make you forget about me, you're only fooling yourself."

At this point, clearing up any misunderstandings that Jack had about her dynamic with Neal were out of the question. All the anger and frustration she had been holding back against him for so long had finally come undone tonight; and worrying about his misconceptions and easing his jealous tendencies over her interactions with another man weren't exactly high on her priority list. Not when their talk tonight had just reopened every emotional wound he had ever inflicted on her after she had spent months—_years_ even—trying to nurse them back to health.

Carly narrowed her eyes on Jack as she delivered what she intended to be her last line before she walked away from this conversation for good.

"I've had no say in your life for a long time now, and now you get no say in mine. What Neal and I do or don't do is _none of your business!_" she said as she started to walk past him toward the kitchen door.

Jack gently caught her wrist and turned around to face her. Carly looked a bit flustered by his unexpected move.

"You're right," he agreed, his brown eyes fixed onto her glinting blue ones. "I can't tell you or stop you from seeing Neal. But there is one thing I _can_ do…"

Carly searched his face and waited to hear the rest of his response, but he didn't give her one. Instead, he decided to demonstrate his point.

Jack drew Carly closer to him by tugging on the wrist he was still holding. Her face came to a stop only a few inches from his. They gazed at each other for a few moments, and there was a clear disparity reflected in each of their eyes. Carly looked up at Jack uncertainly; there was a flicker of fear in her eyes at their close physical proximity. Contrastingly, Jack looked down at Carly with a confidence and a determination that seemed to simultaneously render her both speechless and motionless. It was clear beyond a doubt of whose will was about to prevail.

Jack reached out his other hand and placed it firmly against the small of Carly's back. He tenderly pressed her body to his; his eyes transfixed on her moist lips. He slowly lowered his face and pressed his mouth to hers. When their lips met, Jack could hear her heart pounding inside her chest, but it was soon drowned out by the moan she released against their joined lips. He responded to the intensity of the moment by sliding his hand down from her wrist and interlacing his fingers with hers; giving her hand a gentle and loving squeeze. They swayed slightly as a cold winter breeze brushed past them. And then, defying every unwilling bone in his body that protested to the contrary, Jack slowly released her from his grasp and pulled back. Carly simply looked up at him; shaken and unsure of what had just happened. Jack decided to take the lead.

"I can't stop you from seeing Neal," he whispered huskily, talking directly into her eyes, "but I can make sure as hell that the entire time that you're with him, all you'll be thinking of is me." He paused and gave her a small, wistful smile. "'It's only a matter of time', Carly," he finished; quoting a phrase that she had once said to him years before when she had been confident that they would find their way back to each other again.

Carly wondered why, despite the fact that it was still parted after that kiss; no words were coming out of her mouth in response. Surely she hadn't completely forgotten how speech functioned, had she? Especially given that she had utilized its potential to the maximum not that long ago. And yet, as she stood there and gazed into his determined eyes, articulation seemed like an entirely foreign concept to her. Somehow, she miraculously recalled what she had set out to do before he had drawn her into his tender embrace and left her feeling so vulnerably impaired. She decided that it was in her best interest to retrace her steps and staggered towards the kitchen door again. Just as she placed one hand on the handle, he spoke again and she froze in her spot.

"And Carly?" he said, waiting for her to turn around and look at him directly. "You look absolutely beautiful."

Carly was cognitively aware of the response that usually followed such a compliment, but too much had happened in those few short moments for her to even attempt to say it. Instead, she thanked him with her eyes; lingering at the door just a few heartbeats longer before she wrenched it open and disappeared behind it as it closed after her.

Jack looked up at the night sky. A small smile creased his mouth as he licked his lips and recognized the flavor: chocolate-cherry lip gloss. Some things never changed. He brought his left hand up to his mouth and let his fingers glide across his lower lip where her soft one had rested a few short moments ago. It was then that his eyes caught a glimpse of it again. He reached out with his right hand, twisted it free, and slid it off his finger. He stared at it for a few seconds as it rested in the palm of his hand, and then he tossed it out into the open space before him. He watched as the ring hit the cemented ground and rolled toward the drain grate and finally slipped into one of the narrow slits of the steel grill.

_Fitting_, he thought.

Literal metaphors could be downright brutally honest sometimes. Then again, he knew he deserved it.


	17. Slapjack and Strategy

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: SLAPJACK AND STRATEGY**

Carly stood outside Suite 326 and waited for her knock to be answered. The entire trip from that kitchen door downstairs to the three-storey elevator ride upstairs was mostly a blur; and before she knew it, she was standing in front of Neal's hotel room door. When it opened moments later, she was greeted by Neal's smiling face on the other side.

"Hello Carly," he said, welcoming her with an extended gesture of his arm pointing to the interior of the suite. "Please, come on in."

"Thanks Neal," Carly said as she stepped inside and he shut the door behind them.

"May I take your jacket?" Neal asked.

"Uh, sure," Carly replied, although a part of her wanted to hang on to it for some reason.

Neal helped her slip it off her shoulders and took it from her.

"My goodness!" he exclaimed as she turned around to face him again. "You must be freezing! Are you sure you don't want to hang on to it?"

Carly followed Neal's eyes and looked down at her arms: they were completely covered with goose bumps.

"Uh, no. I'll be fine, Neal," she assured him with a slightly shaky smile.

"Well, maybe I should turn the heat up just a smidge," Neal said.

Carly decided not to tell Neal that the goose bumps that had erupted not only on her arms, but all over her body, had nothing to do with the weather conditions; but rather everything to do with the result of recently heightened sensations…like an unexpected, toe-curling kiss, for example.

Once Neal had draped her jacket around a coat hanger and installed it inside the tiny closet by the front door, they walked further inward through the small hallway and entered the living room. Carly noticed that they weren't alone when her eyes drifted over to the round dining table situated in the corner of the room where a man sat before a half constructed pyramid from a deck of cards.

"I'll make the introductions," Neal volunteered. "Carly Tenney: this is my partner, Alex Benson," he said, looking and gesturing from Carly to Alex. "Alex, allow me to introduce one of Oakdale's soon-to-be fashion moghuls, Miss Carly Tenney."

Carly laughed at the illustrious label that Neal had so prematurely tagged on her.

Alex rose from his seat and extended his hand.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Carly," he said with a smile. "Neal has told me so much about you. It's nice to be able to put a face to the name, and I must admit, he wasn't exaggerating."

Carly blushed at the compliment.

"Nice to meet you too, Alex," she returned with a smile of her own. "Neal here has been raving about what a fantastic co-partner you are."

Her initial impression of Alex Benson was an easily favorable one. Not only was he charming, but he was also rather easy on the eyes. Carly estimated his height to be about five foot ten or so, and he looked to be in his mid to late thirties; around her age. He was trim and well proportioned, with dark brown eyes and short black hair. He wore a dark grey suit with a white and light blue patterned tie.

"Please," Neal said to Carly, motioning for her to choose a seat at the dining table set for four. "I'll be right back, I'm just going to turn up the heat on the thermostat," he informed them both.

Carly chose the chair to Alex's right, and seconds later Neal took the chair on the other side of her across from Alex.

"Lily isn't here yet?" Carly asked Neal, just as she noted that it had to be well after six by now.

"Oh, Lily called me right after we separated at the bar earlier and informed me that she was running just a tad late. It seems that Ethan fell and scraped his knee just as she was headed out the door, so of course she had to stay behind and tend to him first. She called me just as she was leaving the house to let me know that she was delayed."

"Oh no! Is he okay?" Carly asked.

"I think so," Neal said with a nod. "I could hear the kids laughing in the background on the other end of the phone, so I'm guessing it was a band-aid fixable wound." He paused. "Of course she told me that she was planning on calling you and informing you next, but I thought it best to discourage her since I knew you were otherwise engaged."

Carly gave Neal a grateful smile as Alex silently observed the exchange. Carly appreciated the fact that he had chosen not to pry for details as to what—or who—had kept her 'engaged.' She turned her attention to the partially build pyramid that was sitting on the dining table.

"That's pretty impressive," she said to Alex, pointing to the structure. "I've been told that it's harder than it looks."

"It really is," Alex admitted with a proud grin as he reached for two cards from the stacked deck next to him. "When I was a kid, I pretty much lived in Legoland. So when my dad gave me my first deck of cards at the age of eight, I used it to do what I knew how to do best: make a building out of them. Of course in hindsight, they were all early signs that I would inevitably end up in the construction business." He separated the two cards, taking one in each hand and placed them against each other at a sixty degree angle so they formed an inverted 'V' over the base of a flat layer of cards. His hand meticulously hovered over them to ensure that they were equally balanced.

"Worked to my benefit," Neal said with a smile.

Just then there was a knock at the door and Neal got up and excused himself in order to answer it. When it opened, Carly immediately recognized the muffled female voice as Lily's. Sure enough, within seconds, a smiling Lily emerged into the room with Neal following closely behind.

However, before Carly had a chance to greet Lily, the collapse of approximately two dozen cards on the table before her created a bit of distraction. Carly glanced over at the source of the collapse: Alex was sitting there and looking up at Lily as if she were more of a vision than a reality. Carly turned her head in the opposite direction and observed Lily's face as it quickly went from its natural color to blushing shades of red. In those moments, Carly felt as though she and Neal had suddenly turned into intruders who had invaded some sort of private affair.

Neal, who had also inevitably observed the blatant non-verbal exchange, decided to step in and resume his duties as host.

"Right then," he said, clapping his hands together and unintentionally startling Lily in the process. "Lily Walsh: meet my partner, Alex Benson. Alex, this is Carly's partner, Lily Walsh."

Alex slowly stood up and extended his right hand toward Lily, who timidly took it and followed through on the handshake; a handshake, that in Carly's opinion, lasted a few seconds longer than the average timeframe.

"It's really nice to meet you," Alex said to Lily as he broke into a gentle smile.

"Yes, likewise," Lily replied, her voice slightly quieter.

As soon as their hands fell to their sides, Carly noticed Lily raise it up again and tuck a lock of her long brown hair behind her ear; a gesture that universally depicted a woman's self-consciousness in a finely tuned situation.

Seeing Lily's appearance had reinforced in Carly why they would make such a successful team. She looked simple and elegant: exactly the look that Carly had strived for and accomplished. She wore a form fitting dark burgundy sleeveless silk dress with thin spaghetti straps and a hemline that rested just above her knees. Her makeup was subtle and understated, and she had chosen to wear her hair loosely. Carly felt that her partner was definitely deserving of a compliment.

"Lily, you look great," Carly said as she stood up and hugged her, hoping to redirect the ongoing eye contact between her and Alex as the tension teetered on a level of awkwardness.

Lily finally tore her eyes away and really looked at Carly for the first time.

"Thanks Carly," she said, returning the hug. "So do you, as always."

"Thanks," Carly said as they pulled away from each other. "Neal told me about Ethan. Is he okay?"

"Um, yeah, he's fine. He and Natalie were playing tag and chasing each other around the backyard until he tripped on a rock and scraped his knee. A little kiss on the boo-boo and some ice cream before dinner is all it took to cure that up. Emma is babysitting until I get home, so that gives me some peace of mind."

"We saved you a seat, Lily," Neal said, holding out the fourth remaining chair for her.

Lily smiled and took her place with Neal to her left, Alex to her right, and Carly sitting across from her. Carly noticed her shift nervously in her chair, clearly avoiding looking to her right as Alex began gathering up the remaining cards that were scattered below on the nearby carpet and placed the entire stacked deck back on the table. From the way the sparks had just flown after Lily had entered the room, it was evident that there was an immediate, mutual attraction brewing on both sides. While she wasn't sure if either subject was aware of this yet, she wondered if Neal had picked up on it. One quick glance in his direction confirmed that they were on the same wavelength because just as their eyes met, he tried with all his might to stifle a grin. This was definitely going to be an interesting evening. But then again, Carly's mind was elsewhere: on a kiss that had sent chills down her spine and left her with goose bumps that were only just starting to fade away now that the heater had kicked in and began insulating the room with its warmth.

Still, she could still feel his lips on her's, and was all too familiar with the power they had over her. Especially recently. Four intense kisses that had brought about strong memories of true love and passion and intensity like she had never felt: before or after him. But what was the point of dwelling on something that was never going to be again? What good could possibly come of all this?

_The entire time that you're with him, all you'll be thinking of is me._

Ugh! Damn him for being so deeply ingrained inside her head and taking over nearly every single one of her waking thoughts.

"Carly?"

Lily's voice finally penetrated its way into her ears and snapped her back into the present. Something about the tone of her voice told Carly that it hadn't been the first time over the last few moments that she had said her name and attempted to get her attention. Carly looked up to see all three of them staring at her curiously.

"Where did you go?" Lily asked with a soft chuckle.

"Sorry," she apologized, feeling her cheeks grow hotter than the temperature in the room. She cleared her throat, hoping not to project her embarrassment at having been caught with her mind drifting off miles away. "What were you saying?"

"I was just telling Neal and Alex that I spoke with my lawyer this afternoon, and he said he'd be able to have the contract papers drawn up by Tuesday. Both Neal and Alex are available to meet us at his office on Tuesday evening to sign all the documents and finalize everything, so now we just need to know if Tuesday is good for you."

That succeeded in cheering Carly up and her eyes lit up at the news.

"You mean..?" she started. "Does this mean that we can start working on construction once those papers are signed?"

"Yup," Lily said with a nod accompanied by a grin.

"Yeah!" she exclaimed. "_Of course_ I'm available!"

"This calls for a celebration!" Neal declared, getting up and walking over to the small bar lining one side of the small hallway where an ice bucket was resting with a bottle of champagne submerged inside. Next to it stood the bottle of apple cider. Neal reached into the cabinet above and pulled out four wine glasses. "Carly has already submitted her order for Apple Cider, so Lily, what will your pleasure be?" he called out from across the room.

"Champagne please," Lily replied.

"And Alex, I know I don't even have to ask," Neal said.

"You know it," Alex said with a grin, as Neal poured a third glass of champagne.

Carly watched as Alex and Lily glanced at each other at about the same time out of the corner of their eyes before quickly looking away. She smiled to herself. Just then, Neal walked back over to the table and set down everyone's respective drinks from the tray he was holding in one hand. He went back over to the bar to put it away and once again rejoined the others and settled into his seat.

"Carly and I already drank to our success earlier this evening at the bar downstairs, but now that we're all here together, I think it's fitting that we partake in a second one." He raised his glass. "So, without further ado: here's to the four of us and our impending contract. May we begin to reap the benefits of this partnership before the ink is even dry." He gestured to his left in Carly's direction and then to the right in Lily's as he continued, "…and here's to you lovely ladies and 'Carly's Closet.' May you prosper and find all the success you both so deserve."

"Here, here," the other three said simultaneously as all their glasses clinked together. Lily and Alex smiled sheepishly at each other when their knuckles accidentally collided following the toast.

"So, who's hungry?" Neal asked immediately and rubbed his hands together. "I for one am famished."

"Uh yeah," Alex piped up. "I could use some grub." He stood up clumsily and began scanning the room. "Where are the menus again?" he asked Neal.

"Oh, they're tucked away on the bar counter, in the corner," Neal informed him as he stood up himself. "In the meantime, let me grab our floor plan sketch and my laptop. I already downloaded those pictures that Carly took of the place earlier this afternoon. This way we can get started while we wait for our dinner to make its way up."

With that, both men walked away from the table: Alex towards the bar, and Neal into his bedroom to retrieve his laptop; leaving Carly and Lily alone for a few moments. Carly didn't waste any time.

"So…he seems nice," she whispered with a grin, gesturing in Alex's direction with her head.

"Yeah, he does," Lily replied, trying hard for subtlety.

"…and quite handsome too," Carly added.

"Yeah, I suppose," Lily said, shrugging her shoulders as if it were something she hadn't even noticed until Carly had brought it up.

Carly wasn't having any of it. She continued staring at her partner, the grin still pasted on her face. She knew she was making Lily squirm.

"What?" Lily asked; annoyed by the fact that Carly seemed to have caught on.

Carly saw Alex approaching them out of the corner of her eye.

"Nothing," she said quickly.

"Here you are, ladies," Alex said, setting down a menu in front of each of them before walking around to take his seat.

"Do you already know what you want, Alex?" Carly asked when she noticed that he had returned with only two menus.

"Oh, not yet," he said. "We only have two menus. I'll wait until you ladies have decided."

"Hmm. I'm sure Lily won't mind sharing with you," she suggested. "I'll lend this one to Neal," she added, referring to the menu that she was holding.

Just then, Neal reemerged clutching his opened laptop with both hands, and in addition balancing the power cord and a folded up piece of paper in his right hand.

"Here we are," he said, setting his laptop down on the table in front of his seat. He proceeded to connect the power cord to an outlet nearby and sat down once again. "Has everyone decided what they want yet?" he asked.

"Well, Lily and Alex were going to share that menu…and here," Carly said, handing hers over to Neal. "You can look over this one. I think I know what I want."

"Oh. Thank you," Neal said, accepting it from her.

"Um, can you see?" Lily asked quietly as she looked up at Alex.

"Yeah," he said with a soft smile. "Yeah."

In a way, Carly couldn't believe what she was seeing. Never would she have guessed that Lily would show any interest in an another man so soon after everything that had happened with Damian. She knew that she was still a bit shaken up by the trauma she had suffered following the standoff between her and Damian and Meg. Not only had she figured that Damian was still an issue, but Carly was also aware of the fact that somewhere deep down inside, Lily hadn't let go of Holden—not completely. Whether she was ready to admit it out loud was uncertain at this point, but she'd known Lily and Holden long enough to know that regardless of their involvement with other people over the years, their feelings for each other had always lingered on. In fact, she had been completely aware of it when she herself had been one of those "other people" while she and Holden had engaged in that embarrassing affair over two summers ago. These ongoing feelings between Lily and Holden had also been the only concern she had had when Molly had first broken the news to her that she and Holden were officially an item. However, her happiness for Molly had somehow masked that concern she had initially felt and had slowly subsided. Maybe she was wrong, she thought. Maybe Holden and Molly really could find a way to make it last after all; and Lily would move on with someone else—like Alex. She knew it was terribly premature for her to be entertaining such thoughts, but she was confident that the sparks she had seen fly between the soon-to-be business partners weren't just concocted in her imagination.

She looked on as Lily and Alex browsed over the menu; each holding one end of the double-folded booklet with great care.

"Okay, I'm all set," Alex said when he noticed Carly watching him and Lily and leaned back into his chair.

"Me too," Neal said, closing his menu and setting it down on the table.

Lily hesitated a moment longer before following suit.

"Me three," she informed Neal with a smile.

"Wonderful. So, what am I having sent up?" Neal asked Lily first.

"I will go with the Chicken Marsala," she informed him.

"Very well," Neal said with a nod before turning his attention to his left. "And for you, Carly?"

"I'll have the Penne with Grilled Chicken."

"Alright. And Alex?" he asked his partner.

"The Lasagna with meat sauce sounds really good right now," Alex replied.

"Okay," Neal said standing up for the third time within a five minute span. "Let me call this into the kitchen."

He walked over to use the hotel phone that sat on an end table in the living room area.

A silence ensued upon Neal's departure, and Carly tried desperately to think of some topic to serve as filler until his return.

"So…Alex, are you on the same floor as Neal?" she asked, verbalizing the first thing that came to her mind.

Alex looked up from the table at her.

"Yes. I'm about five doors down," he said with a smile.

"It all must've happened really quickly for you: the construction in New York stalling, having to pack up and come to Oakdale, starting a new project on Tuesday."

"It is," Alex said with a nod. "But being a city boy all my life, I thrive on living a fast-paced lifestyle."

"Oh, where are you from?" Carly asked.

"Originally from the Big Apple. But we moved around a lot because of my Dad's job: he was a corporate architect who took on a lot of big building projects. So I've spend some time in L.A., San Diego, Charleston, Dallas, Seattle…and I think I'm forgetting a couple…"

Carly chuckled. She liked Alex. He seemed very friendly and easy-going—just like she had expected him to be given everything that Neal had told her about him over the last week. She took comfort in the fact that she and Lily were fortunate enough to be working with the likes of two great guys like Alex and Neal.

After being a mere listener in the conversation up until this point, Lily finally spoke up.

"Alex," she said. "I know that Neal has already talked to you, but I wanted to reiterate it again: we have to keep this partnership strictly between the four of us until we're actually ready to start construction." She paused. "You see, there are a couple of people who might try to sabotage us if they find out that we're going into business together, so I'd really like to avoid that at all costs until we're ready to start renovating."

Alex listened and nodded in understanding.

"Don't worry, Lily," he said with an assuring smile. "Neal will never forgive me if I breathe a word of this to anyone. You both don't have to worry about me spilling the beans to a single soul."

Lily breathed a sigh of relief and smiled graciously.

Just then Neal returned and settled into his chair again.

"Dinner should be up in about twenty five minutes," he informed the rest of them. "So, in the meantime, I thought maybe we could start going over these plans. What do you guys think?"

"I'm up for it," Carly responded immediately and Lily nodded her approval.

"Okay, so if you all will gather around my laptop," Neal requested, gesturing everyone to scoot in towards him.

Carly and Lily moved their chairs closer to Neal and Alex got up and walked around and stood over the three of them.

"Now, let's go through the slideshow," Neal said and pushed down on a button on the keyboard.

After nearly twenty minutes of discussion and looking over photos, the group excitedly formulated some semblance of a plan and how they initially hoped to go about things. Neal moved his laptop over to the side and unfolded the piece of paper, which happened to be the rough blueprint he had sketched of the inside of the store earlier that afternoon. He pulled out a mechanical pencil from his front shirt pocket and began illustrating other fixtures they had talked about adding to the interior such as shelves, a storage room, a public restroom, lights, etc. It wasn't until there was knock on the door that their focus shifted.

"Looks like the food's here," Neal announced.

"I'll get it," Alex volunteered, heading for the door.

"Thanks Alex," Neal said. "What do you ladies say we take a break and enjoy some dinner while everything is still nice and hot?" he asked Carly and Lily.

"Yes please," Carly said.

"Ditto," Lily added. "I can already smell everything from here!"

"Okay," Neal said, standing up. "Let me just clear the table for these gentlemen," he finished as two waiters walked in carrying two trays of food each.

"I'll help you," Carly chimed in, reaching for the blueprint and folding up the piece of paper. She picked up the deck of cards along with it and set them down next to Neal's laptop on the coffee table before they made their way back.

Alex instructed the men on where to place each entrée and Neal thanked them both with a tip as they let themselves out.

"Wow, it all smells amazing!" Alex exclaimed, resettling into his chair.

"I second that," Neal said as he joined the rest of them. "Please: dig in everyone."

With that, the group began dining together. The conversation remained light and casual, with Alex sharing some more information of his background with the women. Carly and Lily talked about their children and the need they both had to have this business succeed. Neither one of them was too keen on divulging much more about their personal lives—specifically as far as the romance department was concerned. In any case, Alex didn't push or even inquire about the subject, even though Carly figured that Neal must've or would clue him in to some extent within boundary. Before long, they were all finished with dinner and sitting in front of four virtually empty plates. Neal decided it was time for him to clear the table, and once again, Carly volunteered her services; leaving Lily and Alex alone to fend for themselves.

Once they reached the front door, Neal held it open for Carly to walk out with her share of empty plates to set on the floor first before doing so himself. However, to Carly's surprise, he shut the door behind him, leaving them both out in the hallway with the empty dinnerware sitting by their feet. She looked at him in confusion.

"What's wrong, Neal?" she asked.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he said. "You know…the thing with Jack. You seemed pretty distracted in there for a while."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Carly said genuinely. Since Lily had snapped her out of her reverie earlier, she thought that she had been doing a pretty good job of hiding her distracted state. Actually, watching Alex and Lily together had somewhat helped to ease that, but it seemed that Neal had caught on anyway.

"No need to apologize," Neal told her gently. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay," he repeated.

"Yeah," she said with a soft smile. "I'm fine. Jack and I…well, let's just say that we've been through this many times before…"

"As long as you're alright," Neal said returning her smile, not wanting to push the matter any further.

"I'm great," she assured him.

"And the things that I said at the bar…" Neal continued. "I'm sorry if I was too plainspoken…"

"Neal, don't worry about it," Carly interrupted. "I just hope we were able to clear things up so that there aren't any misunderstandings between us," she said with a look of concern.

Neal held up his hands.

"None whatsoever," he said with a smile. He paused. "Now, is it just me, or is there a little something brewing between my partner and yours?"

Carly chuckled.

"You noticed too?" she joked. "I'm definitely seeing some chemistry building there."

"Let's make sure we're not letting things get too awkward between them, shall we?" Neal proposed.

"Agreed," Carly said as Neal held the door open for her and followed her back inside.

When they reached the table, a smiling Alex and Lily looked up from their conversation at the other two.

"Where did you guys take off to?" Alex asked.

"Oh," Neal said, looking over at Carly. "Carly and I were just talking about something that happened at the bar earlier," he explained vaguely.

"What happened?" Lily asked.

"Uh…I'll tell you later," Carly replied before poor Neal had to rummage for another half-response.

"Okay…" Lily said in confusion.

"So, shall we get back to _Carly's Closet_?" Neal suggested quickly.

"Yes. Absolutely," Carly voiced.

"Shall we move over to the living room?" Neal asked them all. "It's a little more relaxed here. Plus, I won't have to move my laptop back over again," he added with a grin.

"We're coming," Alex said, standing up and helping Lily out of her chair, earning a smile in response.

Carly and Neal looked at each other and smirked at the exchange between their two partners.

Neal situated himself in the center of the couch in front of his laptop, and Alex motioned for Lily and Carly to be seated first. Once they had done so and filled up the couch, he had chosen to sit on one of the armrests to be able to see the matter of discussion; not-so-coincidentally choosing the armrest by Lily. And once again, the talk shifted back over to business.

Carly tried to listen, she _wanted _to listen, but her wandering mind wouldn't let her do any such thing again. Before she knew it, she was right back in that dimly lit alley downstairs with him again.

_The entire time that you're with him, all you'll be thinking of is me._

He knew her too well, just like she knew him better than anyone. They had always known how to get to each other—physically or emotionally, married or divorced—it's just the way things had always been between them.

Carly tried once again to focus. She could hear Lily saying something to Neal and Alex and pointing to the computer screen, but her words weren't registering. She unconsciously picked up the deck of cards, which were uniformly stacked face down on the coffee table. One by one, she began placing card after card face up on the coffee table, not really even paying attention to each one or what she was doing. After she had placed about a dozen and a half cards or so, a hand fell upon hers; startling her in the process.

"Slap Jack!" Neal called.

"What?" Carly asked, wide-eyed and dumbfounded at Neal's abrupt behavior.

"Slap Jack!" Neal repeated.

He pointed down to the deck of cards. When Carly continued to look back at him in confusion, he decided he had better explain himself.

"I'm guessing you've never played the game before?" Neal concluded with a smile.

"Oh! It's a game?" Carly asked in realization.

"Yes it is," Neal said with a nod. He paused as something seemed to click inside his head. "Ohhh, you thought I was talking about..?" he started to say.

"Uh, yeah," Carly replied sheepishly.

Lily and Alex watched in total bewilderment as Carly and Neal broke out into a fit of laughter.

"So, how do you play 'Slap Jack'?" Carly asked quickly.

"It's very easy," Neal started to explain. "First of all, it's one word: slapjack." He paused and grinned, hoping that would make some kind of a difference. "Basically, what you do is divide a deck of cards evenly between all participating players. Each person holds their stack of cards face down, and then everyone takes a turn placing one card from their deck face up. We continue to rotate clockwise until a Jack pops up at the top of the pile. Then, the first person who places their hand on the pile and yells "Slapjack!" gets the entire pile and gets to shuffle it into their existing stack of cards, thus increasing the number of cards they have. Once a person is all out of cards, they get one last chance to get back into the game by trying to score a Slapjack, however, if they fail to call it first, they're permanently out of the game. You continue doing so until one person has accumulated all the cards." Neal smiled wistfully. "It's a game that my mum used to play with me and my sister, Amanda, when we were little," he explained. "It reminded me of my childhood when I saw you place that Jack at the top of the pile and I couldn't resist," he said sheepishly.

"So, then, technically, I suppose this pile is yours?" Carly asked with a teasingly raised eyebrow.

"I suppose it is," Neal replied, and picked up the stack from the coffee table.

Carly smirked and placed another card face up on the wooden surface, prompting Neal to do the same. They turned out to be an eight, followed by an ace. Before they knew it, they were alternating cards back and forth onto the coffee table. About four rotations in, Neal finally placed the Jack from the previous series back at the top of the pile. Before Carly could claim it, Neal had done so in a hurry.

"Slapjack!" he called.

"No fair," Carly grumbled. "You have _tons_ of practice at this game!"

"Oh come now, I haven't played this game in nearly thirty years!" Neal defended. He paused. "Actually, no, that's not true. I believe my niece and I played it the last time I was in London about three months ago," he admitted. "But, to be fair, I'm operating on far fewer cards than you are."

"Hey, pass them around, will ya?" Alex demanded playfully. "There are two more people who want in." He looked down at Lily. "Right?" he asked.

"Right," she agreed with a smile.

"Alright, alright," Carly relented. "Neal, why don't you hand me your stack? I'll split them all up into an even four."

Neal handed the cards to Carly who began shuffling them.

Alex climbed off the armrest and sat down in the chair perpendicular to it. The sitting furniture in the living room was arranged in the shape of a boxed 'C' with two chairs positioned on either side of the couch facing each other and the entertainment center containing the TV positioned on the opposite side of the couch. Neal moved his laptop over to the corner of the couch and stood up to retrieve a chair from the dining table as Carly moved over to the chair across from Alex, leaving Lily alone of the couch.

"Wow, thanks guys," she said, in response to having what was likely the best seat in the house.

Carly began doling out the cards while Neal set the chair down across from the couch so that all four of them now sat on four different sides of the square-shaped coffee table.

"Okay, all set," Carly said, once the last of the fifty two cards had been distributed.

"So, does anyone have any questions about the rules?" Neal asked.

Everyone shook their heads to indicate that they understood how things worked.

"Okay," Neal began. "So, we'll go in a clockwise motion. Lily, why don't you start, and then Carly goes next, and then me, and then Alex; and we keep rotating until the first person calls a 'Slapjack.' Is everyone ready?" he asked.

Everyone nodded this time.

"You're up, Lily," he cued.

And so it began: four adults who had indulged in a night of drinks and business talk had finally found a way to unwind for the day with a beloved children's card game.

"Slapjack!" Carly called after Lily set down the first Jack of the game following two rotations.

Lily fake pouted as Carly collected her freshly earned stack and blended it into her existing set. Once more Lily laid a card up and a new cycle began. About ten cards later, Carly laid down a Jack.

"Slapjack!" Alex and Lily called simultaneously; however, Lily's hand was a little slower to reach the stack and instead, ended up on top of Alex's.

Carly enjoyed the ensuing moments of awkwardness as they both blushed at the physical contact. Carly glanced over at Neal, who looked right back at her and shared a reflective grin.

"Uh, sorry," Lily said quietly, quickly withdrawing her hand.

"Uh, no, it's fine," Alex replied. "You can have them," he said, indicating to the pile of cards.

"Oh no, they're yours," Lily countered, flustered. "Your hand got there first."

"I insist," Alex urged with a smile. "I'll find a way to win all of them back anyway."

"Is that so?" Lily asked with a raised eyebrow. "This is turning into quite a fierce game," she concluded as she collected the pile.

And while Lily's statement was an intentional exaggeration, the game had quickly turned quite competitive, but equally fun. It proved to be the perfect icebreaker for four people—some of whom were meeting each other for the first time—who were on the threshold of forging a strong business relationship between their companies, to build on their personal relationships as well. What better way to kick things off than with a few exciting rounds of Slapjack?

Jack caught a glimpse of his police chief from the other side of the glass door before he had even entered the precinct.

"Margo!" he said, walking over to her desk.

"Hey Jack," Margo replied, looking up from the file she had been reading. "Hopkins filled me in on everything while you were at the Lakeview. So, on a scale from one to ten, ten being the worst, how annoying was my brother today?"

Jack groaned.

"Do you even have to ask?" he said rhetorically.

"Right," Margo concurred. "Eleven it is. What've you got there?" she asked, gesturing toward the ziplock bag that he was holding in his hand.

Jack held it up between them for her to get a better look. It contained both the severed microphone as well as Craig's cell phone.

"Seems like the crook—the bricker, not your brother—" Jack clarified as Margo snickered, "had his room bugged. I found this under his nightstand. And I also confiscated his cell phone just in case his calls are being tapped."

"I bet he wasn't too happy about that," Margo said with a cringe.

"My ears are still ringing from all that whining," Jack quipped. "I told him I'd have the officer who is taking over the morning shift outside his room bring him over a new one."

"So, did he recognize the guy from the pictures forensics sent over?" Margo asked.

"No," Jack responded shaking his head and holding up the manila envelope with his other hand. "Apparently the quality of the pictures wasn't up to par."

Margo rolled her eyes.

"Of course," she said with a sigh.

"I really don't think he knew who it was though," Jack elaborated. "The guy was wearing a ski mask. All you could see of him were his eyes and nose. That's not much to go by."

"I suppose you're right," Margo conceded. "Anyway," she said, waving her hand, "I'm not too worried because I have my best detective on the case. If anyone can catch this guy, it's you."

"Thanks," Jack said a small smile.

"I know you'd rather be helping out a more deserving, model citizen of Oakdale rather than my brother, who already has a rap sheet the size of Rhode Island, but I hope you'll at least do it for my nephew."

"That little boy doesn't deserve to have his life put at risk because of his father's boneheaded dealings," Jack agreed.

"Can I look at those pictures?" Margo asked.

"Yeah, here you go," Jack said, handing over the manila envelope from his left hand.

Margo looked down as they made the exchange and then looked back up at Jack immediately; a clear thought crossing her mind.

"What?" Jack asked, noticing it and narrowing his eyes on her.

"You're not wearing your wedding ring," she said slowly.

Jack looked down at his newly empty finger.

"You noticed that quickly, huh?" he asked, shaking his head and chuckling softly.

"Yeah. Why?" Margo asked in confusion.

"Because it took me nearly a day after ending my marriage to realize I was still wearing it. And even then, I had to have it pointed out to me."

"By whom?" Margo asked curiously.

Jack paused for a few seconds. He sighed.

"Carly."

"Carly?" Margo asked. Her face widened with astonishment. "Are you guys back together already?"

Jack chuckled again. The sooner he was able to brief Margo up to speed on the events that had transpired in his personal life over the past twenty four hours, the better.

"Let's go in there," he suggested, gesturing toward the interrogation room.

"This oughta be interesting," Margo said as she quickly led the way in.

Once inside, Jack closed the door and sat down at the table across from Margo as she placed the file down between them.

"Spill your guts," she ordered immediately.

Jack took in a deep breath before he began to recount the details to Margo: Janet and Dusty on New Years' Eve, Janet and Dusty taking off to Miami together, Justin the bellboy's coworker's testimony providing Dusty with an alibi, Janet's attempts at seduction back at the farm, the breakup and ensuing fight, the complete trashing of his stuff, Carly's complete change in temperament over the course of their two phone calls, and her purposeful avoidance of Milltown until after she was sure that he had been on his way to work that evening.

"Wow," Margo said, looking completely overwhelmed as she digested all that information. "I'm sorry, Jack. Looks like you've been through a crazy twenty fours."

"Oh, it's definitely been eventful," he admitted.

"So then, when did you talk to Carly?" she asked.

Jack sighed.

"Just earlier at the Lakeview, after I had talked to Craig. I was waiting for Quincy out in the lobby and I saw her drinking at the bar…"

"She was drinking?" Margo interjected, looking slightly alarmed.

Jack held up his hand in an attempt to pacify her.

"No, it's fine. It was non-alcoholic. It's who she was with that was a punch in the gut."

"Who was she with?" Margo asked almost simultaneously.

"Remember Neal Stokes?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah. He's the British contractor whose construction company is working on the neurology wing at Oakdale Memorial. Bob introduced him to Tom and me at the Charity benefit." She paused. "I remember that he and Carly had gone out a couple of times while he was here in town before and you weren't too happy about it. Are they seeing each other again?" she asked cautiously.

Jack had no idea how to answer that question.

"I don't know," he said finally. "I didn't think we'd ever see that guy in this town again."

"And now he's here for what looks like a good few months…if not more…" Margo contributed slowly.

"And within touching distance of Carly," Jack added.

"So, do you think that they were on a date when you saw them at the Lakeview?" Margo asked.

"I don't know," Jack said. "I thought they were, but when I confronted her about it, she said that it wasn't a date."

"Woah, wait a second, Jack," Margo said immediately. "You 'confronted' her about it?"

Jack looked at Margo, waiting for her to elaborate on her question.

"Jack, the last time I checked, Carly was a free agent. She's a single woman who is entitled to see other men if she chooses. Hell, you're still married for God's sakes."

Jack rubbed his forehead.

"I know, Margo. I know. It's just…seeing her with him…"

Margo watched Jack knowingly.

"Seeing her with him—or any other man for that matter—awakens that big green-eyed monster."

"It's more than that," he said quietly. "He's only been back in town for a little over a week, and all this time, she's known how I feel about her. Still, she insists on spending time with him…"

"…and avoiding you?" Margo finished.

Jack confirmed the answer to her question silently.

"Well, what do you expect, Jack?" Margo asked. "You want her to drop everything else and come running back to you because you've suddenly decided that you want to end your marriage and want her back?"

Jack looked at his boss incredulously. It was eerie how similar her choice of words had been to Carly's earlier ones.

"Listen," she continued. "I'm no Carly Tenney fan, you know I'm not. But, it seems as if she's trying to move on with her life. I mean, isn't that what you've wanted for the past four years…at least for the most part?"

"I think I just convinced myself that I did," Jack explained. "I don't know that I ever really stopped or hoped believing that it was truly over."

"Uh-huh," Margo said with a knowing nod. "So, when you married my sister, and then you married Janet…in the back of your mind, you didn't expect either of those marriages to last?"

Jack looked at Margo guiltily. Talking to her about the end of his marriage to Janet was one thing, but bringing his failed marriage to Katie into the equation made it all kinds of awkward. Margo immediately picked up on his discomfort. After working with each other for as long as they had, Margo and Jack had become quite skilled at reading each other's expressions, and this one was a no-brainer.

"Let's not get into bygones," Margo stated quickly. "Just tell me what happened with Carly tonight."

Jack was grateful for that reprieve.

"Well, I pulled her aside after I found her talking to Neal. They were making plans to meet up in his room."

"Really?" Margo asked, slightly surprised. "What were they saying?"

Jack shuddered at having to recount the conversation.

"They were toasting to their 'new relationship' and something about 'sealing the deal' and making it 'official.' He promised her that he was totally committed to her."

Margo balked at what she was hearing.

"Wow. Sounds pretty serious," she deduced. "That's why you think they were heading upstairs: to 'seal the deal'?" she asked, concerned.

Jack looked at Margo sullenly.

"I don't know," he said.

"So, what? You just let her go up to him after you guys talked?" Margo asked in disbelief.

"I kinda had to, didn't I?" he said. "I mean, like you said, she's a free agent."

"Yeah, but this is you we're talking about. You don't give up this easily when you're fighting for something. I'm finding it a little hard to believe that you just let her go to him after you guys talked."

"I didn't let her leave empty-handed," he explained. "She's not going to do anything with him."

Jack's confidence only staggered Margo.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"She's not going to do anything with him," he repeated. He could tell that Margo was getting antsy in wanting to learn more. He knew better than to keep her waiting too long. "I kissed her."

"Again?" Margo exclaimed immediately. "Don't tell Janet about that one, or you'll be shopping again."

They both snickered at the comment.

"So, you're sure, huh?" Margo asked.

"Yeah," Jack replied, looking into her eyes. "I don't know what's going on between her and Neal, but she's not going to be sleeping with him."

"How is it that you're so sure?" Margo asked.

"Because I know Carly. She's trying really hard to change things this time around. She's not going to make the same mistakes she made before with Simon or Craig."

"But he's only been back in town for a little over a week, and they've already been out together," Margo reminded.

"More than once," Jack informed her. "She accompanied him to the Charity Benefit too—and he'd only been back in town a day or two before that."

"Wow. He moves fast," Margo said. "Did you see them there together?"

"We were part of the same group. Me, Holden, Molly, Katie, and Carly and Neal."

"That's an interesting group," Margo observed. "By the way, speaking of the Benefit: thanks for being there for Katie."

"Don't mention it," Jack waved her off immediately. "I'm glad that she finally got out of the house for a while."

"Yeah, me too," Margo said quietly. She paused. "So, how are you going to get through to Carly?" she asked.

Jack looked at her helplessly.

"I don't know," he confessed. "Every time I try to talk to her, she clams up and tries to walk away. The only reason I got _anywhere_ with her tonight is because I struck a nerve."

Margo reflected on what Jack had just shared with her.

"Then I think you have your solution," she concluded.

"What's that?" Jack asked, confused.

"Well, it seems to me that even though you both might still love each other, there's still a lot of unresolved anger between the two of you that's never been dealt with—at least there seems to be on Carly's side. Now, it seems like she's kept it under control up until now, but with you wanting to get back together and pushing her for it, it all seems to be resurfacing again. However, with all that unbridled anger comes the God's honest truth."

Jack began to comprehend where Margo was going with her thought process.

"So, you're saying that if I want to make any progress with Carly, I'll have to start by reopening old wounds and poking and prodding them if necessary?"

"Exactly," Margo confirmed. "Can't plan the future until you've dealt with the past."


	18. Newly Reopened Old Wounds

*****This chapter is rated 'MA-S' for some softcore SMUT content*****

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**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: NEWLY REOPENED OLD WOUNDS**

**Author's Note****#1-**_ This is possibly the most important chapter from the entire story. In fact, it is the primary reason I decided to write this story in the first place, so I wanted to take my time with it and make sure I gave it the attention it deserved. As much as I loved CarJack's reunion last year, it always bothered me that the show almost entirely glossed over the issues that kept them apart and slapped them back together so easily. These two were separated for nearly FOUR freakin' years in which time they both said and did a lot of things that, in my opinion, absolutely have to be addressed if they are ever going to maintain a genuine friendship (or more) in the future. This chapter really delves into those issues and as the title suggests, 'angst' is the definite keyword. However, they do make some major and long overdue progress. Carly and Jack finally start to express and understand how the other has felt over the last few years. Jack begins to comprehend why Carly is so adamantly pushing him away, and Carly gets to see Jack really bare his soul for the first time in a long time. A word of caution before you read this chapter though: it's pretty gritty. Given that it focuses on the four years that they were apart, it mentions a lot of the people they were with over that timeframe and references a lot of their not so memorable moments during that period. HOWEVER, I did my damndest to make sure I didn't get into any sordid details and keep it as readable as possible. Anyways, enough of my analysis; I'm sure you guys are intelligent enough to evaluate all these factors for yourselves!_

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The Milltown living room looked like a setting described in a tasteful romance novel: a darkened space lit at nighttime only by the softly dimmed glow of a couple of the corner lamps and a few candles scattered around the sitting area. A bouquet of about two dozen or so fresh red roses were neatly arranged in a vase in the center of the coffee table with a box of half emptied, expensive truffles lying next to them. It was evident that the gentleman caller who was still seated on the couch with her had brought them over. The two of them sat facing each other, each holding a wine glass filled with some sort of formal drink—whether it was champagne or cider was unclear—but at this point, it hardly seemed important given the actual circumstances that were unfolding between them. He wore a neatly pressed, expensive black suit, and she was wearing the same black dress she had worn to the Lakeview a few nights ago. Her legs were crossed, exposing her lower thighs and those smooth, long legs that looked all the more seductive with those dangerously high black stilettos on her feet. Whatever was going on, the atmosphere and their physical proximity to each other on that couch suggested that this wasn't just a simple, friendly visit on his part, but something far more intimate.

"I'm really glad that you decided to give us a chance," he said in that sophisticated English accent, gently brushing a stray lock of blonde hair away from her face and smiling warmly into her eyes.

Carly's entire face radiated as she returned his smile.

"You're worth it, Neal," she said, her eyes reflecting the sincerity of her words.

"You know, I must admit that I was really disheartened for a while there because I thought that you would go back to Jack," Neal admitted.

Carly's lips curved into a subtle smirk in response as she looked back at him.

"I'm not going back to him," she said shaking her head. "He's not even a part of the equation any more. I made up my mind about that a long time ago and I'm not changing it anytime soon." She paused and her voice softened considerably as she spoke again. "Besides, I think I'd be a fool if I didn't give this a chance. I don't want to pass up on us and wonder about what might have been for the rest of my life just because I've been unlucky in the romance department so far."

Neal seemed touched by her words.

"Carly, I'd never do anything to hurt you," he declared. "I've waited so long for this relationship to happen. All I want is to make you happy."

Carly beamed at his heartfelt vow.

"I trust you completely," she said, gently cupping his cheek.

"I still can't believe this is happening!" Neal exclaimed, shaking his head in wonderment. "Can you pinch me on the arm so I can be sure that this isn't just some beautiful dream of mine?"

Carly laughed softly.

"I have a better idea," she said, setting her glass down on the coffee table and looking back up at him, her eyes flickering mischievously.

Neal's expression grew intense and his blue eyes darkened with anticipation as she inched toward him.

"My heart is racing," he whispered as their faces loomed closer together.

"Just wait until we seal the deal," Carly breathed just before her lips landed on their destination.

Jack shot up from his pillow with a jolt and sat up straight on his bed. His eyes surveyed his surroundings as he steadied his slightly erratic breathing rate and looked around his bedroom. To call that a dream was putting it lightly, and to call it a nightmare was a bit of an exaggeration—he decided that it teetered in limbo somewhere between the two. What a way to wake up on a Monday morning, he thought, even if it was his day off. Even the sun shining brightly through the window and the early indications of a pleasant day weren't going to erase that unsettling feeling that had now settled itself in the pit of his stomach. He quickly tossed the covers aside and headed for the bathroom. Maybe a nice hot shower would wash off some of those troubling images his unconscious mind had concocted. After that, he knew exactly where he needed to head and who needed to see.

It was only the first week of February, and Carly usually waited at least until the last week of March before she commenced with her annual spring cleaning, but this year was an exception. This year, not only was she beginning the task nearly six weeks prematurely, but she was actually enthusiastic about performing the otherwise severely mundane, time-consuming, and laborious chore. Then again, unlike years past, this year she had tons of incentive, and a lot of that incentive was based on all the progress that she and Lily had made over the weekend in preparation for Carly's Closet. She'd gotten an early start on this beautiful Monday morning, and although it was only around nine a.m., everything from the weather, to the warm scones and coffee that Lily had brought over for breakfast, had only helped kick-start the week on a positive note. It was part of the pact that she and Lily had made on that past Saturday to seize this upcoming week and make the most of it as things began to fall into place and renovations began on the boutique.

On Saturday, they had entrusted Sage, Natalie, and Ethan in Emma's care at the farm and set out for the fabric manufacturing company in Chicago. It had been like a visit to the candy shop to Carly as she marveled over the vast array of gorgeous designs and materials as she toured around the facility. While they had gone there with the sole purpose of browsing and "window shopping", they had returned home with about a dozen different kinds of fabric to use as experiments for Carly's sketched out designs. While there, they had also purchased three headless female mannequins that were each comprised only of a torso and erected over a stand. These were to serve as models to showcase some of the finished products. Since Saturday evening, Carly had worked her fingers to the bone with nearly non-stop chalking and sewing. However, as she stood there with Lily in the center of her bedroom and admired her handiwork, it had all been worth it. Almost as if predestined, a triumphant nineties pop song blared on the radio in the background and completed the effect of the moment.

"This black chiffon lace was the perfect accent piece for this dress," Lily commented over the music as she delicately fingered the material.

Carly turned her attention to the topic of discussion and assessed the sleeveless, knee-lengthed salmon-colored dress that was modeled by the mannequin on the far left.

"I know," she agreed. "I knew they would go together from the moment I picked up that lace."

"They're all gorgeous!" Lily remarked, her eyes twinkling with delight as her eyes moved over to the mannequin modeling a little black dress in the middle, and the one modeling a bohemian-style peasant top over a pair of jeans on the far right.

Carly proudly smiled and agreed with her partner's assessment.

Then Lily's eyes wandered around the rest of the bedroom as she took the sight in.

"Good Lord, look at this place!" she exclaimed. "It's like Santa's little sweatshop!"

Carly surveyed the room. There was a mountainous bundle of meters upon meters of various kinds of fabric piled over the bed. A few laundry baskets sat on the ground next to the bed filled with clothes, and another large heap lay on the carpet in the middle of the room. There were clothes hanging in all directions of the closet, with some of them literally about to fall off the shelves and hangers and a couple of large brown boxes sitting just outside the closet—one labeled 'Attic' and the other labeled 'Goodwill' in big bold letters with the help of a permanent marker.

"I love it," Carly replied gleefully. "I thought about storing everything in the garage, and then I thought maybe the attic, but both those places are so cold right now that I'd hate to shuttle back and forth between either of them. Besides, this way, I can work in the privacy of my own bedroom and everything is essentially at my fingertips. All we need to do is create the space."

"The kids haven't seen all this yet?" Lily asked.

Carly shook her head.

"No, and I have no idea what I'm going to say to them when they see all this material and these mannequins hanging around, but I'll figure something out."

Lily walked over to the closet, reached up, and pulled out another article of clothing from the shelf above the wardrobe.

"Okay, which box?" she asked Carly as she held up a white Mickey Mouse t-shirt.

"Goodwill," Carly instructed her as she began folding up the fabric at the very top of the pile and Lily dropped the shirt into the appropriately labeled box.

They went through the rest of the clothes on the shelf—Lily asking Carly for direction on which box she wanted each one to go in and Carly accordingly offered her instructions as she simultaneously continued folding up the rest of the freelanced pieces of fabric; most of the clothes making their way into the 'Goodwill' box since Carly hardly wore any of them anymore. Lily finally reached the last of the clothes on the shelf. She strained as she tried to reach it flat on her feet, so got up on her tiptoes in order to tug on the black t-shirt that was sitting all the way in the corner in the back of the closet, almost as if it were on purpose.

"Since when are you a basketball fan?" Lily asked with a chuckle as she unfolded the shirt and held it out for Carly to see.

Carly's heart skipped a beat when her eyes landed on the t-shirt that she hadn't seen in years.

"I'm not," she said quietly. "That shirt was on loan."

"Ahh, that makes sense," Lily concluded as she assessed that it was larger in size compared to all of Carly's other ones that she had just sorted through. "You're not going to return it to whoever you borrowed it from?" she asked, slightly confused.

"No," Carly said, shaking her head with a sad smile. "It's too late. Can you put it in the goodwill box please?"

Lily could tell by Carly's sudden change in demeanor that there was a story behind that shirt, and while her curiosity was certainly piqued, she had no intention of goading Carly for any more details when it was obvious that the subject was so glaringly distressing for her. Of course Lily only needed one attempt at accurately guessing who the shirt belonged to. She slowly dropped it into the designated box and watched as Carly's eyes followed it as it landed at the top of the pile and lingered there for a few moments. There was an unmistakable sadness in her eyes at deciding and watching its fate.

Lily quickly cleared her throat.

"So, closet's done," she announced.

"Um, good. Good," Carly said, slowly tearing her eyes away from the t-shirt and looking back up at Lily. "Looks like that's pretty much everything then."

"Are you sure you don't want me to come down to the Salvation Army with you?" Lily asked.

"No, it's fine," Carly replied. "You've already helped enough." She paused. "Besides, we need that insurance plan in place before we can start construction."

"Yeah," Lily agreed. "Listen, once I've looked over the construction contract with my lawyer, I'll call Neal and see when he and Alex can meet up with us tomorrow to sign the papers. Then I'll call you and let you know."

"Why can't you call Alex and tell him?" Carly asked with an implying smirk.

Lily pointed a firm finger in her direction.

"Don't you start again!" she warned sternly as Carly giggled in the background.

Carly only felt a tiny speck of guilt at occasionally teasing Lily about her nervous dynamic with Alex at dinner the other day since Saturday morning.

"Okay, well, I'd better get over to the bank and then down to my lawyer's," Lily said.

"I'll walk you out," Carly offered.

Lily quickly held up a hand.

"No, don't worry about it. You've got plenty to take care of here. I'll call you in a couple hours when I've figured things out with the insurance and talked to my lawyer and _Neal_," she said with deliberate emphasis as she headed for the bedroom door, only to pause as she recalled something else. "Oh, and don't forget to get that doorbell fixed!" she added.

"I'll call the electrician in a little while," Carly replied, simultaneously making a second mental note to do so. She was just glad that Lily had been able to gain access indoors earlier by calling the house phone and letting her know that she was waiting outside with an unresponsive doorbell.

"I'll see ya," Lily said as she let herself out of Carly's room, shutting the door after her, and headed downstairs.

Jack walked up the driveway, his hands shoved inside his coat pockets as he made his way to the front door.

_What the hell am I doing here?_ He wondered. He briefly contemplated turning around and walking away and was about to do just that when a haunting image of Carly and Neal getting cozy on the couch from his dream/nightmare—his drightmare—ran through his mind. No, he had to do this no matter what the consequences.

Just then the front door opened and he literally ran right into Lily, startling them both.

"Lily. Hi!"

"Hi Jack!"

They took a moment and stepped back from each other after their greeting in unison.

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked, half confused and yet, half not so surprised.

"Oh," Lily said, pausing for a few seconds. "I just dropped by to see Carly."

"Right," Jack said nodding his head slowly. "Like old times, huh?"

"Yeah, it is," Lily said; a genuine smile on her face. "It's been amazing."

"That's great!" Jack exclaimed.

Although he was sincerely glad that Carly and Lily had once again resumed their friendship, he couldn't help but be a little jealous that his problems with Carly weren't so easily fixable.

"Well, I should get going," Lily said. "Good seeing you, Jack."

"Yeah, you too, Lily," he said as she started to walk past him.

Jack pushed on the button to ring the doorbell and realized that it didn't chime as usual and was obviously broken. He decided to knock on the door instead and wait for Carly to answer it.

"She can't hear you," Lily said, coming back from behind.

Jack turned around and looked at her with a puzzled expression.

"She's upstairs in her bedroom and has the radio playing in the background," Lily explained. "I tried ringing the doorbell and then knocking when I came over earlier this morning and neither option worked. I finally called the house to let her know that I was outside. You might want to try that," she suggested with a smile.

"Thanks," Jack replied.

Lily simply winked and headed back down the walkway.

Jack pulled out his cell phone and worked his thumb toward Carly's speed dial number, only to freeze before he reached it. He had a better idea. He quickly stowed the phone back into his coat pocket and gingerly turned the doorknob and opened the front door. He slowly shut it behind him and walked into the foyer, searching the immediate surroundings for any sign of movement.

"Carly?" he called.

No answer. She was still upstairs as Lily had informed him. He recognized the faint strains of Bryan Adams's "Heaven" streaming its way down the staircase, followed by a couple of muted thuds hitting the ground from the second floor. He proceeded upward in the direction of the noises. The bedroom door was almost all the way closed, exposing only a sliver's view of the room. Bryan Adam's soulful crooning increased in volume with each step he made. Jack lightly rapped on the door and received no response. He waited a few more seconds before trying again; a little louder this time. The door swung open and Carly came into view.

"Lily, did you forget some…" Carly trailed off when they locked eyes.

"Hi," Jack said, grinning sheepishly.

"Hi," she replied, clearly surprised by his unexpected visit. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you," he said, voicing the first and truest thought that had come to his head. "Lily was leaving as I got to the door and she told me that the doorbell was broken and that you wouldn't be able to hear me because of the music…"

"Oh," Carly managed to say in response.

"Isn't it a little early for spring cleaning?" Jack asked, slowly slipping through the partially opened door.

"Well, I thought I'd get an early start this year," she replied, casually pushing the door and letting it close wherever it lost all momentum. It came to a halt just shy of latching into the lock.

"What's with the mannequins?" Jack asked, pointing to the partial-bodied clothed dolls and looking somewhat amused.

"Bedroom décor," Carly replied, not knowing how else to put it.

Jack raised his eyebrow skeptically.

"'Bedroom décor?'" he repeated. "So, that's what's in these days? Decapitated mannequins?"

"Mm-hmm," she said with a nod. "They're like garden gnomes…only bigger and with fewer limbs."

Jack sized up the lifeless dolls and broke into a knowing smile.

"These clothes have your signature all over them," he concluded, turning to face her.

"Yeah," she admitted with a modest smile. "I was just trying out a few designs."

Over the course of a short pause, Jack's expression changed from one of curiosity to one of realization.

"Have you gone back into designing?" he asked with widened eyes.

Carly broke eye contact and looked around the room, her eyes falling on the neatly folded materials of fabric. She knew she couldn't really get out of this one without giving at least some sort of an explanation. Besides, it was futile trying to lie to the man who had seen her not only sketch hundreds upon hundreds of designs over the years, but had seen her bring most of them to life.

"Somewhat, yeah," Carly replied.

"I'm confused," Jack said. "Is this official or are you just freelancing?"

Carly briefly hesitated.

"Well, since I pulled out of the vodka business, I've been bored," she offered in explanation. "And you know me: once I pick up a needle and some thread, it's nearly impossible to put them back down again, so I decided to return to my roots as a hobby."

Jack smiled wistfully. He knew better than anyone how passionate Carly was when it came to creating art out of fabric. Then again, given her natural talent, it was pretty much ordained that she was born to be a designer as much as he was a cop.

"They're gorgeous," he said, admiring her handiwork. He turned to look at her again. "Then again, with you being the designer, how could they be otherwise?"

Carly blushed and accepted the sincere compliment with a smile. There was another silence that hung in the air until Jack spoke up again.

"So, I'm guessing you're going to be creating a few more masterpieces with those?" he asked, pointing to the pieces of fabric that were sitting on the bed.

"Yeah," Carly said, folding her arms.

"I may not be an expert, but isn't that a lot of material for a single outfit?"

Carly felt a bit tongue-tied at the question.

"W-well, you know," she stuttered slightly. "It's better to have some extra material at hand just in case the first one doesn't turn out the way I want it to."

Jack scoffed at the remark.

"Since when?" he asked. "You're Carly Tenney. You don't know make mistakes."

Carly raised her eyebrow at him as if that was the most ridiculous comment she had ever heard.

"Er…well, not when it comes to clothes," he offered, a bit flustered.

"Well, thank you," Carly accepted. "I guess I just went a little overboard when I saw all these beautiful patterns."

Jack nodded, not knowing what more he could add to the subject. He looked around at all the items still scattered around the room until his eyes landed on a folded black t-shirt that was resting in one particular box. It was labeled "Goodwill." He walked over and picked it up, letting it unravel as he held it out by the shoulders in front of him. His heart started to race as the logo of a menacing red bull glared at him with the words "Chicago Bulls" etched in white between his horns. He hadn't seen this shirt—his shirt—in nearly four years.

Carly watched Jack carefully, her stomach twisting into a tight knot of nervousness. Unbeknownst to Jack, her heart was racing at approximately the same rapid rate as his. Those emotions only grew when he turned to look at her with an intensity that bore every sensation that was coursing from within him. He slowly walked back over and came to a stop in front of her.

"You're giving this away?" he asked in a low voice, holding the shirt up between them.

Carly averted her eyes from his gaze.

"I have no use for it," she said softly. "I haven't slept in it in years. I figured someone else could use it."

Jack looked at her incredulously.

"I think you and I both know who this shirt should go to," he said with a clear certainty. "And as much as I support donating to charity, I think this shirt is too expensive to give away. I mean, it's worth fifty bucks."

Carly smiled sadly.

"It _was_ worth fifty bucks," she corrected.

"And now?" Jack asked quietly.

"I honestly don't know," Carly replied.

Jack stared at the shirt for a few moments before he broke out into a fit of laughter. Carly recognized the sardonic tone all too well.

"You know, it's pretty pathetic," he said, his eyes still on the shirt and shaking his head. "What timeline did I set? Twenty years?" he asked rhetorically. "After twenty years, I'd supposedly still be married to Katie and you'd owe me fifty bucks. How pathetic is it that that marriage didn't even last a whole two months after we made this bet?"

Carly wrestled with what her next words should be.

"I'm not sure what to say to that," she said finally, reaching to turn off that infernal radio.

"You can say that you want your fifty bucks," Jack suggested. "After all, you won."

"No I didn't," Carly countered. "It wasn't a fair bet." She paused. "You can take the shirt if you want."

Jack chuckled wryly.

"And do what?" he asked. "Look at it and miss you even more than I already do?"

Carly looked at him solemnly.

"Then maybe the best thing is to give it away," she said, extending her hand to take the shirt from him.

There was no movement from Jack.

"No," he said, shaking his head firmly. "I'd rather hold on to it than see it go into that box again."

"Okay," Carly conceded.

Jack gently tossed the t-shirt on the chair by the door and reached into his back pant pocket to retrieve his wallet. He pulled out a bill and held it up with one hand for Carly to see: it contained an illustration of President Ulysses Grant with the number "50" printed on all four edges of the currency.

"I know you're not going to take this from me," Jack said, "so I'll hold on to it for now. And while this may sound really trivial: when I get you back, I'm going to buy you something with this because it's rightfully yours," he finished, gesturing at the money.

With that, he tucked the bill back into his wallet and deposited it into his pant pocket again.

"Jack, nothing is going to happen—"Carly started to say.

"We're going to be together again, Carly," Jack said, speaking over her.

"No, we're not," Carly countered as decisively as possible. "It took me a long time to let you go, and now that I have, there's no way that I'm going back."

Jack stared back at her with a powerful gaze.

"Really?" he challenged, completely undeterred by her last claim. "You've let me go for good?"

Carly removed her eyes from him—looking everywhere except directly into his resolute face.

"Yes," she replied, her subdued voice clearly contrasting his confident one. "Isn't that what I just said?"

Jack slowly stepped closer to her and came to a stop until their faces were mere inches apart.

"Then look me in the eyes right now and tell me that you'll be able to live the rest of your life without touching me, or kissing me, or being in arms, or making love with me ever again," he defied.

Jack observed all the color drain from Carly's face and she turned a pale ghost white.

"Jack, I—"Carly began, only to realize that she had no words planned beyond that.

"Come on, Carly," Jack dared. "If you've let me go like you said, it shouldn't be hard to say it."

Carly felt compelled to meet his demands. After all, she was Carly freakin' Tenney! She thrived at challenges, and yet, here she stood, her silence acknowledging her imminent defeat. She watched helplessly as his brown eyes drew closer to her blue ones and all common sense went to hell. Only he had the power to handicap her entirely with one single look of the eye.

"Can't do it, can you?" he whispered huskily. "I should know. I've been there. But this connection between us—" he gestured between them, "it's not something that you or I can ignore and will away. It's written in the stars. It's meant to be. And let me tell you, all I want to do right now is wrap my arms around you and kiss those beautiful lips and feel every inch of your skin against mine. Now you look me in the eyes right now and tell me that you don't want the same things."

Carly speechlessly followed his eyes as they tore away from hers and wandered down to her lips. Her own eyes strayed down to his mouth and found themselves mesmerized by the image of him lightly licking the crease between them. Then it hit her and she became completely powerless. The scent of his cologne permeated her senses and a flood of memories came rushing through her mind. Once upon a time this had been his room too—_their _bedroom: their bed, their dresser, their closet, their butterfly wall hangings. She recalled days past when they would wake up in the morning in each other's arms, get ready for their day together—sometimes even indulging in a joint shower, and engaging in a few intimate kisses before bounding down the stairs and heading out to their separate destinations until reconnecting at home in the evenings. Their marriage hadn't been perfect—far from it, in fact—but through the good and the bad, it had been the happiest time of Carly's life. They were both as different as night and day, but their love for each other made every single one of their dissimilarities seem completely superficial.

Now, as Carly stood there and reminisced about the life they had once shared together, and recalled smelling that same cologne many times in that very room while they had passionately embraced each other when he belonged to her; she felt all her willpower slipping away. Her hands came up almost of their own volition and cradled either side of his face. Carly tenderly drew his mouth to hers and tightly pressed her lips to his. It took Jack a few seconds to collect himself and realize what was happening between them. His arms reached around her waist and he pulled her to him to further deepen the kiss. Carly whimpered softly as she felt their lips entrench and tightly lock against each other. Jack kissed her with a passion and a determination as if his life depended on it. Before they knew it, Carly's mouth had widened and Jack's tongue was gliding flawlessly against hers. This time it was Jack's turn to elicit his emotions with a moan. Carly felt his hands circumvent the hem of her blouse and gently attempt to lift it up. She instinctively reached down, brushing her hands against his as she helped him free her of it. Their lips momentarily parted as she slid it over her head and tossed it on the floor. As if predestined by a magnetic pull, their mouths immediately met again and they tried to outdo the fiery intensity of their prior kiss. They could feel nothing but the pure euphoria that their fused lips and encircled arms had created. Jack nimbly licked the crease between Carly's lips and her mouth parted and instantly gave him access to the inside. She shuddered with pleasure as his tongue swept against hers again and Jack felt a raging sense of belonging as he caressed every inch of it. As heavenly as these ministrations were, Carly began to crave more of him and her fingers greedily reached for the top button of his shirt, undoing it with a sense of urgency and fluidly working her way down until he was completely unbuttoned. She tugged at the edges on both sides and hurriedly stripped it from his body, exposing his chiseled bare chest. In sweet retaliation, Jack reached behind her back and unzipped her skirt, letting it fall to the ground. Carly quickly stepped out of them and they instinctively headed toward the bed, both of them unwilling to break their relentless embrace.

Jack tenderly eased Carly onto the bed and straddled himself on top of her, making sure not to put all his weight on her. Carly reached around and pressed her palm against his mid-back and pulled him to her, wanting to feel his muscular chest against her firm breasts. Her nipples hardened as pure ecstasy coursed through her entire body. Jack moaned at the contact and felt every hormone in his body charge into overdrive when his already throbbing groin came to rest just below her point of access. An erotic desire stirred madly inside Carly and she instantly reacted to its frantic demands. She let her hands fall to her sides and worked them across Jack's torso, reaching for his belt buckle, quickly undoing it and flinging it to the ground. Her hands immediately went back to work and she unbuttoned his jeans. Jack broke their lip-lock and inhaled sharply as her hand inadvertently grazed against his pelvis before she worked the zipper. Carly felt a luscious tingle glide down her spine as he hissed in arousal into her ear. Jack pulled away for a few moments and impatiently kicked off his shoes and tugged down on his pants, trying to shred them from his legs as quickly as possible. It was in that moment that Carly's eyes caught sight of something resting to the side of the bed on her nightstand: a framed picture of Parker, J.J., and Sage smiling sweetly at her. That's when reality kicked into her brain and she knew right away what she needed to do. Just then Jack reemerged and dove back for her lips, only for Carly to quickly put her hand to his chest and stop him from meeting them all the way. Jack withdrew slightly and looked at her in puzzlement as she stared back at him with widened eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asked, breathing heavily.

Carly crawled out from under him and slid off the bed and onto her feet. She tried to steady her own labored breathing as she walked over to the chair at the other end of the bedroom and picked up her black satin bathrobe and slipped it on, tying the strings with an added tightness around her waist. As she walked back over toward Jack, her hands flew up and gripped either side of her head. Her face filled with alarm as their uncontrolled actions from the last few minutes started to sink in. Jack got up from the bed and stood up to find out what had Carly so clearly rattled. He reached for his jeans and pulled them up as he waited for her to speak.

"Good God! I can't believe I almost let that happen!" she exclaimed through gasps for air, her hands still firmly planted on her head and her expression unchanging.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, still a little perplexed by the sudden turn in events.

"This!" Carly replied, gesturing around them to encompass him, herself, and the bed. "I can't believe we almost…"

The words were there and ready for use, but she couldn't bring herself to complete the sentence.

"What?" Jack asked as he loosely pulled his shirt over his body. "Made love?"

After the phrase was uttered from Jack's mouth, Carly's hands instantly fell back down. Her face transformed from one of sheer shock to one of unpleasant disbelief.

"What did you just say?" she asked, and Jack detected a hint of antagonism in her voice.

Nevertheless, he had every intention of reiterating what he had felt had almost happened between them.

"We almost made love," he elaborated.

Carly bitterly shook her head at his opinion.

"Is that really what we were about to do?" she asked sarcastically.

"Of course it was!" Jack replied, still a little shaky on where Carly was going with all this.

Carly simply laughed in response.

Jack could feel a sense of frustration start to well up inside him.

"You don't think it was?" he asked Carly.

Carly took a few seconds to collect herself and looked him dead in the eyes.

"There are a lot of ways to describe what we were about to do, but 'making love' isn't one of them," she stated firmly.

Jack was getting more and more frustrated.

"How can you say that, Carly?" he asked. "This is you and me we're talking about! How _else _can you define it?"

Carly folded her arms and stared at Jack, this was clearly starting to develop into a confrontation.

"Okay, I'll bite," Carly replied. "Answer me this: when was the last time we made love, Jack?" she asked.

Jack noticed her eyes dance as she challenged him to answer the question. For the first time in a long time, it was at that precise moment that Jack underwent a flicker of realization as he caught a glimpse from Carly's point of view. Regardless of how bleak things were starting to look, he knew that backing out wasn't an option.

"Carly, that's not impor—" he started to say.

"_When_ Jack?" Carly insisted adamantly.

She watched as he strived to mentally contemplate his response, but unable to give one. Carly decided to throw in an extra injunction.

"And don't you _dare _mention that day I pushed you into the pond and we were interrupted by Janet and her cinnamon-soaked apple pie!"

"I wasn't going to," Jack replied quietly, shuddering as he recollected the sensation on his cinnamon-singed tongue. "We didn't even go through with it that time."

"Right," Carly said heatedly. "So you'll need to dig a little further back for your answer."

A painfully uncomfortable silence encompassed the room.

"Can't do it, can you?" Carly said after what seemed to be an eternity to Jack. "Maybe that's because every time we've slept or almost slept together since our divorce, you dismissed it as nothing but 'sex.'"

"Carly," Jack spoke up, desperate to quell the unpleasant memories. "I think I know where you're going with this, but can't we just put it all behind us? We've both made mistakes. But we're here now, and we can be together if we want. After all, sooner or later isn't that what happens? We always end up finding our way back to each other. You know it. I know it. Hell, the whole damn town knows it."

Carly listened carefully as he spoke.

"Even destiny has a shelf life," she remarked.

Jack scoffed at the statement.

"You don't believe that," he said. "That's not the Carly I know."

"That wasn't the Carly you _knew_," she corrected. "And let's face it, Jack: you haven't really known me for a _long_ time. The Carly you knew was naïve, and irresponsible, and selfish. She put herself and her needs before everyone else's and didn't really think about the consequences of her actions."

"But she was also loving, and passionate, and selfless," Jack contradicted. "And I loved that about her: both the good and the bad. That's what made me fall in love with you. That's why I've never stopped loving you."

"Just not enough to actually stay with me," Carly said in a quiet voice.

Jack looked at her sharply.

"Is that why you've been pushing me away?" he asked. "Because you think I'm going to leave you again?"

Carly's eyes fell to the floor.

"It really doesn't matter," she said.

"Oh, I think it does," Jack opposed strongly. "I can see that there's a lot more to this, Carly. Please, just tell me. Tell me what's got you so stubbornly set against us!"

Their eyes connected again and she couldn't stand to leave his question unanswered, not when he was looking at her beseechingly for any kind of response, even if that response wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear.

"Fine," she said, hesitating a little. "I don't trust you."

Jack felt as though she had just stabbed one of his vital organs.

"You don't trust me?" he asked, shaken by her admission.

Carly decided to elaborate.

"I trust you when it comes to a lot of things. I trust you when it comes to being there for our children. I trust you when it comes to financially helping me out if I need it. I trust you with my life when it comes to getting me out of dangerous situations." She paused. "But I don't trust you when it comes to us."

Jack let this latest revelation sink in for a few moments, the weight of it only increasing the pang in the pit of his stomach.

"Why don't you trust me?" he asked finally.

Carly really did _not_ want to continue this conversation any longer, but she could clearly see that Jack wanted some answers, and as much as she wanted to put an end to this discussion, she decided it was high time that she let it everything air out. After all, if the roles were reversed, she would've gotten those answers out of him by any means necessary-ethical or otherwise.

"Because you haven't given me very much reason to," she said. "You say that we were almost about to make love a few minutes ago, but you can't even pinpoint the last time we actually _made_ love."

Jack chuckled at the cruel irony of it all.

"Something tells me that even if I could give you an exact date and time, it wouldn't change your mind about us right now."

"Probably not," Carly agreed.

"So then talk to me, Carly," Jack urged. "Tell me where I went so wrong that you can't even trust me anymore!"

"I needed a _commitment_ from you, Jack!" Carly yelled. "All those times when you said you still loved me, and that you wanted me back; I needed you to _prove_ to me that they weren't just words. I needed to know and feel that you wanted to be with me as much as I wanted to be with you, but were never been able to do that."

"Are you forgetting that I tried?" Jack replied. "I told you that I still loved you when we were at the hospital on that island, and you left before we could talk about it. I tried to talk to you the next day when you came by the farm and you turned me down again. So don't stand there and tell me that I didn't try!"

"How hard did you try, really?" Carly asked. "Because I heard you say those words a time or two, but you didn't do a damn thing to convince me. I didn't just want you to say those words to me, Jack. I needed you to actually _show _me that you meant them. But you never did that, did you? Less than two months later I got to see just how badly you wanted us to be together while I was sitting in the audience at your wedding to Janet."

The rawness in her words stung him deeper than he had thought possible.

"Then why the hell did you push me towards her, Carly?" Jack asked heatedly. "If you wanted us to be together, why the hell did you appoint yourself matchmaker between Janet and me?"

"Because I wanted you to _fight_ for me, Jack!" Carly said just as loudly. "I was scared, and I needed my G-man to take me in his arms and hold me close and tell me that he'd never leave me again. But you didn't do that. Each time you gave me even the tiniest crumb of hope, you took it right back and I was left to deal with losing you all over again. I won't do it anymore. I won't do it to me, I won't do it to you, and I sure as hell won't do it to our children. They deserve better than that."

"Our children want us to be together," Jack pointed out.

"Our _children_ want us to be together forever," Carly amended. "And we haven't been able to give them that. Finding your watch on my nightstand the morning after a single night's roll in the hay is the closest our kids have come to being hopeful for a possible reunion between us. I'm just glad that this time we stopped before we did something we'd both regret."

"I wouldn't have regretted it," Jack said truthfully.

Carly shook her head and smiled dryly.

"I remember a time when you did," she said. "Do you remember the morning after a certain engagement party? I called our night together 'making love' and you dismissed it as 'just sex' and referred to it as a 'huge mistake.'"

Shame coursed through Jack as he recalled their fight nearly two years earlier on that ominous April morning following a drunken night in bed together.

"I know that I really hurt you that day," he said quietly. "There's absolutely no excuse for what I did. I didn't think that you were still angry about it."

"I'm not," Carly said, "I've come to realize that I was just as much to blame for what happened that night. After all, I let things instigate knowing full well that nothing had been resolved between us. But over time, I had shoved that incident to the back of my mind…until rehab. As sad as it is that it took a stint in rehab for me to get my butt into gear, it actually really helped me put certain things in my life into perspective. I guess in that sense, I'm grateful for that time away. It gave me a chance to reflect on everything that had gone wrong in my life, and I realized that I had no one to blame for any of it but myself."

Jack listened soberly as Carly recounted her thoughts to him.

"One day, Jim: one of the counselors, asked us all a question. He said, 'If you were to die today, how would those who know you remember you?' And of course I went through all the people in my life. How would I be remembered as a girlfriend, as an ex-wife, as a fiancée, as a sister, as a general acquaintance; and obviously, not all of those opinions I imagined in my head were good. But I felt like I could deal with those perceptions of me. Then I sat there and I thought about one more instance: 'If I died today, how would my kids remember me?' And you know what, Jack? I was ashamed as I tried to put myself in their shoes and imagined how they might view me."

Carly's face grew grim as she continued and Jack felt his heart grow heavy as she poured out her emotions.

"That's where the naïve, irresponsible, selfish Carly comes in. And really, that pretty much sums up a lot of how I've led my life over the last few years. After you left me and we got divorced, I became a dependent mess. Then Simon came into my life and I let myself be taken in by him. He did all the right things, and said all the right things, and it did wonders for my ego; and after months of feeling so battered and bruised, it felt good to have a man believe in me, and shower me with attention, and pay me a dozen compliments."

Jack's face fell, knowing completely that he was the main reason that she felt that way. Carly caught his hurt expression and reassured him that she didn't hold any of it against him before pressing on.

"I'm not saying any of that to hurt you, Jack," she explained. "I just need you to understand why I did some of the things I did with Simon—not that it makes any of it okay—but I don't think that you and I have ever sat down and talked about it."

"We haven't," Jack replied, knowing that this Simon nonsense should've been addressed and dealt with years ago.

"Anyway," Carly went on. "I convinced myself that I loved him." Jack scowled as she uttered those words. "But I never really did," Carly acknowledged. "When you left, it was like this huge void had been left inside me, and I had to find some way to fill it, and Simon came along at just the right time and I fooled myself into thinking that he and I could have what we once had. She laughed sarcastically. "We all saw how that turned out, didn't we?" she asked rhetorically. "I ended up looking like a giant-sized fool."

"But at the time, I thought I was anything but a fool. I felt like a genius when we lifted those jewels from right under everyone's noses. I loved the thrill and the adrenaline rush of it all, not even stopping to think for a moment that I had three kids at home who needed an honest, hard-working mother; not some jewel thieving criminal who was inevitably going to have her ticket punched in at the state penitentiary. Still, I chose to shrug it off, and before I knew it, I was being hunted by the police and Leonian officials and had to get out of town, leaving them behind to wonder if their mom really loved them and whether she would ever come back."

Her voice started to crack and hot tears began to streak down her cheeks.

"Then when I came back, I promised myself that I would take full advantage of the second chance that I had with them and put them first. And what did I do instead? I became so obsessed with getting you back that they once again became secondary. Not mentioning the misdiagnosis, taking in Sam and Kit, the affair with Holden, getting involved with Craig, and the final crescendo to my undoing: drinking myself into rehab. Oh God!" she sobbed, covering her mouth with her hand. "I'm such a terrible mother!"

Jack walked up and pulled her into his arms.

"No you're not," he said, stroking her back soothingly. "Listen, you've kept that promise this time around," he whispered into her ear. "You've put them first like you wanted to. Whatever happened before you left for rehab is in the past. All that counts is how you live your life now. What's that saying? 'Whatever happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?' Just apply that same principle here."

Carly laughed amidst the tears, her face still buried against his chest. They held each other in silence for a few more moments before Carly pulled away. She looked up at Jack, her eyes still shining with tears.

"Okay, enough of my blubbering," she said, wiping her face with her hands.

"Carly," Jack said, "Our kids love you. They know that their mom has made some mistakes in the past, but they also know that you're trying hard to make up for it now. They know that you'd die for them. Parker may be at that 'My parents suck' phase right now, but he's completely devoted to you, and so is J.J. And Sage? Well, it doesn't take a genius to see how much she adores you. Now, she will always be Daddy's little girl, but I have no objections if she wants to be just like her mom."

Carly laughed softly again, making Jack smile brightly in response.

"Thanks Jack," she said, meaning it with all her heart.

"Anytime," he said, caressing the side of her cheek and wiping a tear away.

Carly grew nervous at his touch and started to run her fingers through her hair as a distraction from that ticklish sensation she was feeling.

"Actually, I think she showed us that she's just as good a liar as me when she pulled that Miss Snowflake stunt a couple of weeks ago," she added quickly.

"Well, I won't let you take all the credit here," Jack said.

"What do you mean?" Carly asked, confused.

"Well, the lying trait: I think she gets it from both of us," he clarified.

Carly continued to wear that same confused expression.

"How so?" she asked.

"Well, as much as you hail yourself the queen of lying and manipulation, I just recently realized that I'm no better," Jack explained.

"What do you mean?" Carly questioned, still feeling clueless.

"It's true," Jack said. "Ask Julia, and Katie, and Janet…they all know. They've experienced the life and lies of Jack Snyder firsthand. Why else do you think they agreed to marry me, only to have the rug pulled out from under them?"

"Um, I'd rather not touch this topic," Carly said, her smile fading.

"See, not wanting to talk about Katie and Julia: that, I understand," Jack said. "But Janet. I've been meaning to ask you about Janet."

"Ask me what?" Carly asked, already aware of the fact that she was going to hate his answer.

"Why you were rooting so hard for us to get back together again. I mean, you made it pretty clear just a little while ago that my marrying her ruined things for us, so then why have you been trying to get me to work things out with her so much over the last few weeks?"

She knew it. She was going to—and did, in fact, hate—this question.

"Because she is—I mean, _was_—your wife," she offered plainly.

"Really?" Jack asked, his tone clearly conveying his skepticism. "See, I don't think that's it. I think you did it for the same reason that you did it the last time around. It's because you were scared. You were scared that if Janet and I broke up, that it would open things up between us again, and that possibility terrified you. So you figure that if you can try and keep me with Janet, then you won't have to worry about giving into your feelings."

Carly frowned at Jack's analysis. She didn't care how spot on it was.

"I did it because I care about you," she explained.

"It had nothing to do with convincing yourself that you'd really let me go?" he asked.

Jack's eyes bored into Carly's as if searching for the unspoken truth inside their blue depths.

Just then his cell phone started to ring. He sighed as he picked up his coat and dug into one of the pockets to answer it. He could've sworn that he had seen something flicker in Carly's eyes as she had prepared to respond to his accusation, making the timing of that call all the more frustrating. He checked the identity of the caller.

"Hi Tom," he said.

Carly deduced that it was the younger Tom Hughes.

"Really?" Jack said, his eyes lighting up. "That's great!... Yeah, I can stop by your office and pick them up. How long will you be there?" Jack winced at Tom's response and checked his wristwatch. "You can't just leave it with your secretary?...Yeah, I understand…Okay, I'll be there before then…Yeah, thanks…Bye."

"Well, my separation papers are ready for pick up," he informed Carly after hanging up.

"This quickly?" she asked in total surprise. "But you only unofficially ended your marriage a few days ago."

"Well, as far as Janet knows, that's when we ended it," Jack said. "But I had Tom file those papers nearly two weeks ago. I just didn't get a chance to tell Janet face to face that it was over until she came back into town after her recent Miami rendezvous."

"So, you filed these before you found out about the affairs?" she asked.

Jack nodded.

"Does that really surprise you so much?" he asked. "I told you that I didn't just leave Janet because of the cheating. I filed them that day after our talk at the lake, and I knew from the beginning that it was the right decision."

Carly was beyond stunned.

"Why didn't you say anything about filing them before?" she asked.

Jack shrugged. "I guess I just wanted to wait and see how everything else played itself out. I did admit to you that I was planning to leave her even before this Dusty/Bellboy debacle that night in the alley," he reminded.

Carly nodded.

"I'm glad that we let the mud sling today," Jack said. "I didn't even realize a lot of what I've put you through over the years until you threw it in my face. It hurts that you don't trust me that way anymore, Carly. But I understand why you don't. Just know that despite our conversation today, nothing's changed for me. I still want the same things. Only this time, I'm not giving up. Whether that means I have to fight for you, or convince you, or prove to you a million times over that we're meant to be together."

Those words affected Carly to the core, but she was determined to remain strong.

"Jack…" she started to say.

Jack held up his hand to stop her from completing her sentence.

"Don't say anything," he said. "We've talked more deeply today than we have in years, and I still feel the same way I did before we started this conversation. There's nothing you can say or do to make me change my mind. One thing you should know though…" he added, letting his voice drop to that husky timber that sent chills down her back. "The next time you and I are together on that bed, we'll be _making love_."

Carly's eyes widened as Jack grinned triumphantly at the promise he had just made.

"I have to go meet with Tom before he leaves for a court case," he said as he fastened on his belt. "I'll make sure I lock the door on my way out. I'd hate for some random guy to wander into our bedroom and stake his claim on you. After all, you're taken."

Carly smiled despite herself. No matter what was happening between them, those cheesy lines coupled in with that sexy smile always melted her toughest exterior.

"I'll see ya," he said with a wink, gathering his coat and shoes from the floor and letting himself out the door.

Carly stood alone in the bedroom, the smile still pasted on her face. The sound of the door reopening startled her and she turned around impulsively. Jack reemerged and walked over to the chair sitting a few feet away from the door and picked up the black t-shirt.

"I can't believe I almost forgot this. I'll let you borrow it again one of these days," he said, holding it up.

Carly swatted him on the arm, only to earn a smug smirk in response. She was once again left alone in the room. She heard the front door close downstairs and knew that Jack had let himself out. Still, there she stood, in that bedroom they had once shared and filled with memories, that same consistent smile still lighting up her face.


	19. Nothing Quite Like Family

**CHAPTER NINETEEN: NOTHING QUITE LIKE FAMILY**

When Jack inhaled the fresh scent of apple pie wafting through the open window from the Snyder farm kitchen, he instinctively jerked to a halt in a disturbing moment of déjà vu. He was still a little traumatized from his last experience walking into that kitchen following a nearly identical smell before having his character—and his clothes—tarnished with permanent stains. Then he heard an older feminine voice pleasantly humming an old church hymn and a smile formed on his face. He walked in to find the short, portly, dark-haired woman slicing a few pounds of strawberries on a cutting board. Emma Snyder's face lit up when she saw her favorite nephew walk in and she immediately dropped the knife she was holding and hurried over to him.

"Hi sweetheart!" she exclaimed, pulling him into one of her warm, motherly hugs. "Ohhh, I missed you so much!"

Jack patted her back affectionately.

"I missed you too," he said, still smiling as they released each other.

"I was a little worried that I may not get to see you at all this time," Emma said, her face growing serious.

Jack rubbed the back of his head guiltily.

"I'm sorry," he said. "You know I just went back to work again, and I've been working pretty much non-stop."

"So I heard," Emma said with a nod. "But I'm very happy that you're back where you belong," she said with a series of pats against his chest, referring to his being back on the force.

"How's Meg doing?" Jack asked.

"Oh, she's fine," Emma replied, a slight sadness on her face, "doing a lot better. Otherwise I wouldn't have felt okay leaving her there by herself, but I was starting to miss you boys and the kids so much that I just had to come."

Jack recognized that while Emma was happy about Meg's progress, the sorrow of having to see her daughter confined to a room in a mental institution was still too much to take in. He sincerely hoped that one of these days his younger cousin would be back at the farm again, spreading her warm smile around the house and helping her mother bottle up an assortment of homemade jams and preserves. The strawberries on the cutting board signified that at least for this year, Emma had to fly solo on the annual family tradition.

Emma's eyes narrowed on him.

"So, I walked in this morning and noticed that my kitchen actually looks a lot like _my_ kitchen again," she remarked, dropping a semi-subtle hint.

"Uh…yeah…" Jack replied uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, Emma. I know that you wanted me and Janet to work things out, but—"

Emma held up a firm hand.

"Say no more," she said. "_I'm_ the one who should be apologizing to you."

Jack looked at her in utter confusion.

"You? What do you possibly have to apologize for?"

Emma sighed and gently pulled his hand.

"Come and sit down," she said.

They settled down across from each other at the dining table.

Jack suddenly realized how eerily similar this entire visit to the Snyder kitchen had been so far to his last "welcome" inside. Then again, this time he hadn't wanted to bolt right out the door courtesy of the seduction scene he had walked in on last time. Also, Emma's welcome had been warm and gentle, in contrast to Janet's gruff and pushy physical approach. He knew that it all meant something in the grander scheme of things.

"Jack, when I found Janet in the kitchen the other day wanting to work on your marriage; I was so overjoyed that I didn't even stop and consider if you were ready for it, let alone whether you really even _wanted_ it. I just told her that she could have all the privacy she needed at the farm and pretty much gave her my blessing. I guess I was just happy that she was willing to try and work things out, and I felt like you needed all the people who were close to you to help you deal with everything you've been going through—especially your wife."

"Emma…" Jack started to say, but she held up her hand again.

"That is, until I learned what a lying, manipulative, unfaithfully wretched creature she is!"

Jack's eyes widened in shock as Emma spoke those words with an added zing.

"You know about everything?" he asked.

"Not everything," she said, "but Holden filled me in briefly this morning. I started to fear the worst when I came down to make some breakfast and saw that all of Janet's dishes had gone missing. That's when I asked Holden. He didn't want to tell me anything—thought I should wait to hear it from you—but I managed to pull some of it out of him. Although he wants me to hear the main details from you."

"What exactly did he tell you?" Jack wondered.

"Just that you found out about the affair while you working on that case, and that you both had a fight about it, and she walked out of here in a huff after she destroyed practically everything you own." Jack observed as Emma's face quickly turned beet red. "Ohhh, just you wait until I see that woman and give her a piece of my mind!"

Jack smirked at Emma's mini-outburst. He'd missed her. She'd always been more of a mother to him than his own mother had, and he loved her accordingly. From her summary, it was apparent that she didn't know all the details—at least not the most important one; or she would've mentioned it already.

"It wasn't all her fault, Emma," he said quietly. Emma stared at him; her eyes narrowing in as she waited for more elaboration. "I haven't exactly been committed to our marriage…not for a long time. Hell, not even from the very beginning."

"Jack Snyder, don't you dare defend that woman to me right now!" Emma warned, pointing a reprimanding finger at him. "That still doesn't give her the right to be unfaithful to her husband!"

Jack stared at Emma seriously.

"What if that husband has been just as unfaithful?" he asked.

Emma's eyes widened.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, taken aback.

"I guess Holden didn't tell you that part," Jack said knowingly with a soft chuckle before growing serious again. "Isn't being emotionally unfaithful just as bad as being physically unfaithful?" he questioned.

"Who were you..?" Emma started to ask, but then trailed off as realization quickly sank in. "Of course," she said with a knowing smile. "It's always her, isn't it? For as long as I can remember; it's always been her."

Jack simply stared at her, letting his eyes confirm what she already knew.

"I'm guessing you told Janet?" she asked.

Jack nodded.

"And what about Carly? Does she know how you feel?"

Jack nodded again.

"And..? Does she feel the same way?" Emma demanded with a raised eyebrow.

"I've tried talking to her several times, but she won't consider it, let alone admit it."

Images of him and Carly getting passionate on her bed just a couple of hours ago flashed through Jack's mind, but he decided to forego the disclosure of that detail to the maternal figure sitting across from him.

"Don't you think it's a little soon?" Emma asked. "You've barely ended this relationship. You can't possibly be thinking about getting into another one this quickly…even if it _is_ with the love of your life."

Jack absorbed her reasoning.

"I know," he said with a sigh. "I actually had Tom draw up the separation papers nearly two weeks ago, before I'd even had a chance to end things with Janet. It was the same day that I told Carly how I felt. So in my mind, this marriage had already ended long before Janet packed her bags and left the farm. As for Carly…I was really expecting a different reaction."

"Jack," Emma said warmly. "Have you thought about what this must be like for her? She just got out of rehab. Her engagement fell through because her fiancé had been cheating on her with her sister. She spent weeks following you from city to city and trying to bring you back home to your family. And now that she's had a chance to breathe, she's probably trying to put her life back in order. I'm pretty sure that the last thing that she was expecting was to hear her ex-husband tell her that he still loves her…especially while he's married to someone else."

"I know," Jack said. "I just thought that she'd…"

"Thought what? Hmm?" Emma challenged. "That she'd come running back into your arms and kiss you senseless? It doesn't work that way, sweetheart. You see, I've seen Carly lately. She's changed…grown up somehow. I don't think this is the same Carly we've known for so long."

"She said that all the credit goes to rehab."

"Maybe it does," Emma agreed. "You see, I saw Carly the other day. She came by Lily's to drop Sage off before the two of them headed out for a day in Chicago, and we only talked briefly—mostly about Meg and the kids—but there was something different about her. There was this air of maturity about her, and you know what? I know that I've been critical of Carly for a long time now, but I couldn't help but be proud of her."

"Me too," Jack said with a smile.

Emma patted his hand.

"She cares about you," she said with a warm smile. "I think she proved that when she wouldn't give up on you; and knowing you like I do, I'm sure you didn't make it very easy for her. Still, she stuck by you and brought you back home to all of us…and it wasn't just for the kids. That must mean something, right?"

"I hope so," Jack replied.

"It does," Emma assured. "But you promise me one thing," she asked as Jack looked at her intently. "Promise me that when you _do_ get Carly back this time; that you'll never let her go? Not that I don't love having you back at the farm, but your place is at Milltown." She paused and visibly shuddered. "Plus, if you bring another bossy, loudmouthed, lasagna-baking floozy who takes my kitchen hostage into this house, I just might have to disown you regardless of how much I love you."

Jack laughed affectionately at the sternly-issued warning.

"You have my word," he promised.

"Good boy," Emma said, standing up and walking over to kiss him on the head before making her way over to the stove. "Now, how about I feed you a nice, home-cooked meal? I'm sure it's been days since you've had one."

"That would be fantastic," Jack said with a grateful smile. "Should I go get Holden?" he asked, gesturing towards the stairs. "I saw his car outside."

"Oh, Holden already had his lunch," Emma informed him. "He's out in the stables. The gentleman from Chicago brought the new horse over about an hour ago, and he's getting him fitted into his riding gear."

Lunch had been wonderful: perfectly seasoned and delicious. They didn't discuss Carly or Janet again; talking mostly about Meg, the kids, and Jack going back to work. After a second helping of mashed potatoes and ham, Emma had cut them both a slice of that apple pie. Jack approached his first bite with caution, although he knew that the cook made all the difference. He opened his mouth and his taste buds were in paradise.

"This pie is outstanding," he remarked, complimenting the chef. "Did you use cinnamon?"

Emma nodded.

"Just a pinch," she said, gesturing with her fingers. "Any more than that and your tongue will take a beating."

"Pfft. Don't I know it," Jack muttered, recalling his previous apple pie experience and heartily shoving another forkful into his mouth.

Carly had finally taken care of all of her errands. She had stopped by the Salvation Army and dropped off her donations: two boxes of her old clothes, a box each of Sage and Parker's old clothes, and a box each of their old books and toys that she had found up in the attic. After that, she had stopped by the grocery store and picked up some frozen entrees and vegetables. While her fridge was still stocked with smaller portions of the huge breakfast she had cooked last Friday, she and the kids needed a break from trying to empty out those dishes. Then she had stopped by the bank and closed her old checking account and opened a new one. The reason being her philosophy that she started everything anew; and new earnings from a new business certainly deserved a newly created account of its own. With everything else out of the way, she only had one task to finish. It wasn't going to be easy, but she knew she had to try.

The sets of WOAK were crowded as usual; and Carly weaved her way through the crew and camera equipment with caution as she made her way past Molly's empty office to the break room. Molly was standing there laughing and talking to a coworker. When she seemed to notice that someone was approaching her, Molly turned and looked in Carly's direction. Her smile faded slightly upon seeing Carly's face. Nevertheless, Carly gave her a small wave as she closed in on her.

"Hi Cuz," she said, walking up to where Molly and her coworker stood.

The other lady seemed to sense the immediate tension and quickly excused herself.

"So, I heard you and Holden went away for the weekend," Carly remarked, trying to sound upbeat. "How was it?"

"Fine," Molly said, keeping busy by making herself a cup of coffee.

Carly was slightly disappointed by her cousin's cold demeanor but decided to press on anyway.

"What did you guys do?" she asked, breaking into a sly grin. "Or do I already know?"

Molly looked up at Carly.

"We had fun," she said, ironically with a serious expression. "It was nice to get away for a while."

Just then one of the cameramen walked up to them.

"Molly, we just looked over the segment. It's good to air, so you're free to take off if you'd like."

"Thanks Steve," she said as the man smiled and began walking away.

"Hey, that's great!" Carly exclaimed. "Does this mean you have some free time?"

Molly hesitated and shifted uncomfortably on her heels.

"Actually, I was going to do some shopping for the apartment," she said.

"Well, do you mind if I join you?" Carly asked hopefully.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea," Molly said stonily. "I mean, I might not be done for hours, and I'm sure you have other things to do."

"Nope," Carly said with a carefree shrug. "Parker has to work on a group project after school and Sage is going over to a friend's house, so they won't be home for hours. I'm all yours for the afternoon."

"Are you sure you don't have any other plans?" Molly asked almost sarcastically.

Carly shook her head.

"Not a one," she said. "I already ran all my errands for the day."

Molly hesitated before saying anything in response so Carly took the lead.

"Come on, Molly. I know that you're upset with me. Can't we at least talk about this?" she urged. "Why don't we at least go across the street and grab a bite to eat from Java? And if you'd still rather go shopping by yourself, I won't push you."

Molly contemplated Carly's offer.

"Okay," she relented with a sign. "Let's go."

"Great," Carly said with a relieved grin.

"Let me just grab my purse," Molly said as Carly followed her out of the station.

Jack approached the large wooden structure and was greeted by the combined odors of horses, straw, dust, and manure as he walked through the entrance. Of course that's exactly how the Snyder Farm horse barn had smelled for as long as he could remember. He made his way through the stalls; bypassing Angie the mare, Pippin the gelding, and finding Holden in the third stall working on bridling a horse he didn't recognize.

"So, this must be the new transfer student to your equine school," he remarked. "I guess I missed out on meeting him the other day because of that nap in the car."

Holden looked up and smiled.

"The breeder drove him in a couple hours ago," he said and gestured toward the horse. "This is Draco."

Jack examined the young stallion. He had an even, shiny, dark brown coat; with a thick, long black mane and tail. His physique was impeccable; with a broad chest, muscular back, and sturdy, long legs.

"He's a handsome horse," he observed.

"Yeah. He's a thoroughbred Danish Warmblood. They're still not very common 'round these parts."

"Must've cost a fortune," Jack concluded.

Holden nodded.

"Sixteen thousand smackers."

Jack let out a low whistle at the sum.

"It's the first time I've invested that much on a horse," Holden acknowledged. "But I don't know…there's something special about this one. I took one look at him and knew I wanted to work with him. He has the potential to be great."

"You think you'll find a client who's willing to put down that much, in addition to covering all the other expenses?" Jack asked.

"Actually, I might already have a potential buyer," Holden informed him.

Jack looked completely surprised.

"Already? How did that happen?"

"Well, actually, a guy called me earlier this morning and said he was looking to buy a horse," Holden explained. "I told him that I'd been out of the game for a while so I didn't have any horses available. He asked me when I'd be back in business and I told him that I was ironically expecting a horse within the next couple of hours…I actually got this strange feeling that he already knew that. Anyway, he wanted to know what breed it was and what my selling price range might be, and when I gave him all the information, he told me that he was interested in buying him after I was done fully training him."

Jack's expression shifted from one of surprise to one of confusion.

"Just like that?" he asked. "Without even seeing the horse, he agreed to meet your asking price?"

"I thought it was really weird too," Holden said. "I mean, most of my potential clients are breed specific and only decide to buy after they've met and ridden the horse at least two or three times. Even then, most of them choose to sleep on it before making a full commitment; not making a blind bid. And like I said, I got this distinct feeling that he already knew that I was expecting a horse today."

"Something doesn't add up," Jack said with a slight frown. "Did he give you his name or contact information?"

"He didn't give me a phone number or an email address," Holden informed him. "He only introduced himself as 'Armando.' He asked me how long it would take for the horse to be ready. I gave him an estimated time of about three to four months. He said he'd call me in another three months to check up on his progress and then hung up before I could even ask him anything else."

Jack chewed pensively on his bottom lip.

"Hmm…yeah, it's all definitely very shady. Did he say what he was planning to use the horse for?"

"No. Of course I told him straight out that I don't train for racing. Warmbloods aren't bred for it anyway."

"Did he call your cell?"

"Yeah, but I already checked: his number was blocked."

Jack reached out and stroked Draco's muzzle, and the horse whinnied softly in response.

"Are you going to sell him to this guy?" he asked Holden.

"I don't know yet," Holden replied. "I'll have to wait and see what kind of a vibe I get from him when I meet him. Let's just say that I haven't fully ruled him out until then."

Jack simply nodded. Although he still had his suspicions about "Armando", there really wasn't anything left to discuss for the time being. Anyway, he knew that he and his cousin had a weekend's worth of catching up to do.

"So, how was the weekend getaway?" he asked instead.

Holden's mouth creased into a smirk.

"It was great," he said, until he remembered something slightly perplexing and his expression fell slightly. "Well, at least after I got Molly to stop obsessing about Carly and Lily."

Jack's eyes lit up at the mention of Carly's name.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, you know how we talked about Lily and Carly spending so much time together the other day while we cleaned up your room?" Holden asked and Jack nodded. "It turns out that when Molly went over to Carly's that morning to tell her about you and Janet, she found Lily there having breakfast with Carly. Needless to say she was pretty torn up about it. Lily has already been a bit of a sore subject for Molly because of me, and now that Carly is interacting with Lily again, it's got her feeling a bit insecure…like she's being replaced."

Jack nodded his comprehension.

"Actually, I saw Lily at Milltown this morning too," he said.

Holden's brow furrowed at the information.

"What do you think is going on with those two?" he asked.

Jack shrugged.

"I don't know. I've been meaning to ask Carly about it, but with the mountain load of other stuff we've had to talk about, I haven't had a chance to yet. I just spoke to Emma, and she told me that the two of them left the kids at Lily's with her and went out to Chicago on Saturday." He paused thoughtfully. "Personally, I think it's a good thing that they've mended things. They both seem so much happier now that things are back to the way they used to be between them. But I can understand why Molly might feel threatened."

"Yeah, well, with the history between Lily and me, I can't say that I blame her for being a bit skeptical. I've done all I can to convince her that it's finally over between us, but I don't think she's there just yet. My guess is that the only way she'll be able to put any kind of closure to it all is by seeing Lily move on with someone else."

Jack zeroed in on Holden's face as he posed a question.

"And what about you? You think you're ready to see Lily move on with someone else?"

Holden looked forlorn, as if his mind had suddenly been plagued by a series of unpleasant memories that had suddenly come rushing back.

"I already had to see it, didn't I?" he asked bitterly. "It didn't take her too long after I was presumed 'dead' to become Mrs. Damien Grimaldi."

Jack really had no response to Holden's comment, especially when he knew that it was completely true and he himself had strongly disagreed with Lily's decision. Still, it made him question Holden's current situation with Molly and wonder how much of it was in retaliation to Lily's recent actions. Afterall, he knew better than anyone that being hurt in love made people do stupid things…like moving on too quickly with someone else in an effort to ease the pain. In fact, he knew enough about rebound relationships firsthand to pen an entire novel on the subject. And while a part of him was truly happy for Holden and Molly, another part of his nagging conscience told him that he had to impart at least a small dose of advice as a means of warning to his cousin against similar consequences. As he prepared himself to do just that, Holden derailed his train of thoughts with a random question.

"So, did you just get back from Carly's?" he asked.

The mention of her name immediately sent everything else to the backburner.

"Uh…no. I had a few errands to run after that, including picking up my freshly printed separation papers."

Holden didn't look quite as surprised as Carly or Emma had upon hearing about the quickly completed papers—probably because he had been in the know since soon after Jack had requested Tom to draw them up.

"Hmm, nice timing," he said. "Did you already give them to Janet?"

"No," Jack said, cringing slightly and shaking his head. "Well, not directly. I don't think she'd be too happy to see me face to face just yet. I signed my share of the papers and then stopped by Metro—Janet's working at Al's today—and gave them to Teri to take home to her. I know it's a little classless, but I just don't have it in me to go through another earsplitting rant…it's too soon."

Holden tried to stifle his laughter, earning a glare from Jack even as he successfully held it in.

"So, did you have lunch yet?" Holden asked.

"Yeah, Emma made sure I was fully fed…and gave me a piece of her mind about Janet."

Holden stared at Jack guiltily.

"Yeah, sorry about that…but you know Mama. She has a way of pulling things out of you."

Jack scoffed and nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I filled in the rest of the blanks for her. As long as she doesn't go after Janet with a rolling pin, I think it'll be okay."

This time, Holden laughed at the image of his mother actually chasing Janet down with a rolling pin. He honestly wouldn't put it past her; nor would he blame her for wanting to avenge a disrespected member of the Snyder family. Jack seemed to feel the same way, as he didn't bother to shoot Jack a look of disapproval this time.

"So, do you have anything planned for the day?" Holden asked.

"Not really," Jack replied. "The kids have plans after school and then they'll probably head home to get started on their homework. So I was thinking of heading down to the station and working on a couple of my cases."

Holden rolled his eyes.

"On your day off?" he asked, shaking his head in disappointment. "Why? To find out who threw that brick at Craig's brainless head? Whoever it was, I'm sure that Montgomery had it coming to him."

Jack agreed readily with that statement despite his sworn oath as an officer of the law.

"Do you have something better in mind?" Jack inquired.

"Well, it's been a while since I've ridden Cheyenne, so I thought that I'd take her out along the creek and back. Why don't you come along? Saddle up either Pippin or Angie or Felix."

It didn't take Jack long to agree to his cousin's proposition. A nice, long horseback ride through the woods was just what he needed to clear his head and unwind, even if it was just a temporary escape away from civilization and its complexities.

"You're on," he notified Holden.

"There ya go!" Holden said with a grin. "Why don't you grab us a couple of saddles while I finish up here and then you can catch me up on what you were doing over at Carly's so early this morning."

Carly looked sideways at Molly as they walked through the parking lot of Java.

"Come on Molly, talk to me. Please?" she implored.

"What do you want me to say?" Molly asked almost frostily.

"I don't know_. Anything_," Carly encouraged.

"Okay," Molly said coming to a halt and turning to face Carly. "How come Lily was there having breakfast at your place again when I came by on Friday morning? And don't tell me it was because of the kids: school was well underway by then and it was clearly just the two of you."

Carly bit her lip nervously. She had been anticipating the question, now it was just a matter of pacifying Molly and making her understand.

"Molly, Lily and I have had plenty of breakfasts over the years," Carly defended.

"You know what I mean, Carly," Molly stated firmly. "You and Lily drifted apart right after everything that happened with Holden. So where is all this sudden closeness coming from? I thought that the kids playing together at your place the other day was a onetime thing."

Carly sighed. She had to do her best to put things into perspective without upsetting Molly any more.

"It's not," she said. "Listen, Lily and I might've drifted apart in between, but lately we've realized how much we miss our friendship. After Rose died, and Emily and I fell out, and you left town, and Rosanna slipped into that coma, Lily was my only friend—well, besides Gwen. She was there for me when I went through some of the worst days of my life, and even when I was shunned by pretty much everyone else in this town; she stuck by me through everything." She paused; her expression growing grim. "And we all know how I repaid her for all that loyalty. Now that we've finally found a way to forgive and move past it all, how can I just push her out of my life?"

Carly could see that she was getting through to Molly, so she continued.

"Besides, my being friends with Lily doesn't change anything between us. We're still cousins, and we're also still best friends. And like I told you the other day, I still love you as much as ever," she said affectionately, making Molly crack a faint smile. "But I need you to understand that I can't just stop hanging out with Lily because you disapprove, honey," she continued as gently as possibly. "But I'll plan it in such a way that it doesn't interfere with _our_ time together," she added.

"You're sure you can't just lock her out?" Molly asked with a childlike hope.

Carly chuckled softly and shook her head.

"Sorry sweetie," she said, smoothing her cousin's straight brown hair.

"Just thought I'd check," Molly said. She sighed. "I'm sorry that I've been acting like such a jealous idiot. It's just that I'm already paranoid enough about Holden's never-ending connection to Lily, and then when I see that she's spending so much time with you now, it just gives me one more thing to worry about."

"Well, you have nothing to worry about," Carly reassured her. "I'm keeping the promise I made to you. I haven't told her anything about you and Holden and she hasn't asked me about you guys. The only time she mentioned Holden is when she told me that they were going up together this weekend to bring Faith home."

"Right, don't get me started on how I feel about that," Molly said with a huff.

Maybe it was the need to placate her cousin, or maybe it was the sudden reminder of Lily and Alex's brief but obvious attraction to each other, or a combination of both; whatever it was, Carly wouldn't have said what she said next if she had felt like she was backstabbing Lily in favor of her cousin. However, she didn't feel like she was compromising her friendship with Lily in favor of assuring Molly of her relationship with Holden, so she moved forward.

"Hey," Carly said gently. "Holden may have to stay in Lily's life because of the kids, but he's with you. You need to trust him."

Molly sighed in frustration.

"I do," she said. "I do trust him. It's just that Lily and Holden have a history, like you and Jack. And like the two of you, their connection has brought them back together over and over again—and it's had nothing to do with the kids. Hell, I've seen it firsthand. So it's a little too close for comfort."

"Hmm. Well, a long history doesn't always mean that two people are going to end up together again," Carly said glumly. "Sometimes it's better for them to just go their separate ways and just work on raising their children to the best of their abilities."

Molly looked at Carly incredulously.

"You don't believe that," she said. "Not when it comes to you and Jack. Come on, Carly. Don't you think you've punished the poor guy enough? He needs you just as much as you need him. He certainly could've used your help and fashion expertise in picking out that new wardrobe."

Carly looked at Molly in utter bewilderment.

"A 'new wardrobe'? Why would Jack need a new wardrobe?"

Molly's eyes widened with surprise.

"You didn't know?" she asked and Carly shook her head in response. "Well, after they had it out, Janet went upstairs to pack her bags, and in the process ended up trashing all his stuff: his clothes, his books, his CDs, his DVDs…pretty much everything he ever owned."

Carly was beyond stunned at hearing the news.

"Are you serious? She _really _ruined everything he ever owned?"

Molly nodded.

"Down to his last number two pencil."

Anger flared up inside Carly and she wondered what she might do if she came face to face with Janet anytime soon.

"So, let me get this straight: she cheats on him with Dusty, cheats on him and Dusty with some other guy—did you know about that by the way..?" she asked in between, wondering if Molly had been briefed on the subject either by Jack or Holden. Molly nodded in indication before Carly continued. "And _Jack_ is the only one who has to pay for their marriage ending?"

"Yup," Molly confirmed. "And to think…his only 'mistake' was telling that boor of a wife of his that he was still in love with you." She paused. "Well that, and the fact that he married the witch in the first place." Her voice became softer as she continued. "Didn't he talk to you?" she asked.

"He did," Carly said, affected by what Molly had just said. "But he didn't tell me about this. Then again, we've been all over the place lately."

"Okay Cuz. How about we grab a bite to eat and you can clue me in on all the details?" Molly said, her mood almost fully improved.

They locked arms and walked into the coffee shop together, and men—two Snyder boys in particular—were to be the main topic of discussion.


	20. Arrivederci, Mama Meatball!

**_Author's Note_ - **_Hello everyone! I know that it's been a long time, so I'm not sure how many of you are still following along. Now that things have slowed down in life, I'm hoping to pick up where I left off. My goal is still to see this story through all the way, so I will keep chipping away at it until its done. Anyway, I have been planning this chapter for nearly two years now and have really been looking forward to penning it. I wanted the dialogue to be just right, and I wanted to capture the emotions as realistically as possible. In any case, I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Oh, and Juicy sucks!_ :p

**CHAPTER TWENTY: ARRIVEDERCI, MAMA MEATBALL!**

"That vile, manipulative, selfish little hag!" Carly fumed. "She's got a lotta nerve to vandalize all his stuff!"

Molly broke into a grin as Carly continued to rant, completely oblivious to their current, very public setting.

They were sitting at a small table inside Java, which was filled with at least a half a dozen other patrons, and snacking on a pair of delicious English scones. Given how small of a community Oakdale was, and how quickly news travelled amongst its social circles, Carly was usually more mindful of the information that she disclosed out loud in public. Some subjects, however, elicited emotions too strong and immediate to put away or control until a later time.

"I can't believe that hypocritical shrew _actually _cheated on him with someone and then cheated on him and that someone with someone else without even knowing that someone else's name and…"

Carly froze when she spotted her cousin's wide open grin.

"_What_?" she asked pointedly.

Molly chuckled.

"Nothing," she said through soft giggles. "It's just…Look at you being all protective. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were actually being possessive."

The observation temporarily rendered Carly speechless.

"I—I'd say the same thing regardless of who it happened to," Carly attempted to explain. "It's a sucky situation for anyone."

Molly chuckled again.

"It's not _what_ you said," she clarified. "It's _how_ you said it. And trust me, _how_ you said it, said _a lot_."

Carly swirled her straw around inside her glass of lemonade as she closely observed her cousin. She could only defend herself so many times before conceding that she would never win another argument…at least not when it came to their present topic. She decided to go with her only course of action.

"So, tell me more about your romantic getaway with Holden!" she asked.

"You're obviously trying to change the subject," Molly said plainly. "Normally, I wouldn't budge, but since this new subject is just as juicy, I guess I'll let it slide this time," Molly decided as she leaned closer to Carly, her entire face lighting up with a bright smile. "It was an _amazing _weekend!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Then spill the details, Cuz!" Carly ordered.

"Well, what can I say?" Molly mused, that enthusiastic smile still plastered on her face. "There was intrigue, there was romance, there was passion…and there certainly was _a lot_ of love-making!"

Carly relished in her cousin's joy. After her affair with that sleazy congressman, Silas Whitman, had been exposed, not only had Molly lost her job, dignity, and peace of mind; but she had also lost her trust in men. Thankfully, it didn't take very long for her to regain that trust once she came into contact with Holden Snyder again. And seeing Molly this happy once more warmed Carly's heart.

"The love-making was, of course, _incredible_," Molly continued. "But you know what the highlight of that entire trip was, Carly?" she asked.

"Tell me!" Carly asked eagerly.

"Holden and I said that we love each other."

Molly squealed excitedly as Carly gasped.

"Really Mol? That's fantastic!" Carly reached across the table and squeezed her cousin's hand. "Oh, honey, I'm so thrilled for you!"

"Thank you," Molly said, her face still shining with glee as she wiped away a tear of joy. "He makes me so happy, Carly," she added.

"Aww, honey, I know he does," Carly replied. "And I really hope that this is the start of something wonderful for both of you."

Molly's eyes sparkled brightly as she listened to her cousin.

"What? You mean like an engagement, and a wedding, and a couple of kids, and a beautiful lakeside house with a white picket fence?" she guessed out loud as she examined the possibilities.

"Maybe" Carly said with a shrug. "Just don't get too far ahead of yourself, okay?"

"Carly, relax," Molly assured her. "Holden and I are taking this nice and slow. We have a great thing going. We don't want to mess it up."

"Good," Carly said as she suddenly looked down at the back of her hands, a perplexed crease forming on her forehead.

"What's wrong?" Molly asked, watching her cousin curiously.

"Ugh! Look at my nails," Carly grumbled. "I was doing some heavy cleaning around the house this morning and it looks like I've gone and chipped these babies in the process."

"I can sympathize," Molly offered. "Look at this," she continued, holding up her left forefinger to display a badly broken nail, "It happened sometime over the weekend…but I was too preoccupied doing all kinds of naughty things that I didn't notice until today," she finished.

Carly joined her cousin in a hearty chuckle.

"I've been meaning to get a manicure," Molly added.

The mention of a manicure generated a thought in Carly's head and she reached for her purse from the chair next to her.

"That's a great idea," she said, as she continued to dig inside in her purse. "Aha!" she exclaimed when she had found what she was looking for. Carly held up the business card for Molly to see.

"'Rhonda's Nails,'" Molly read aloud. "Who's Rhonda? How come you're carrying her business card in your purse?" Molly questioned.

"Rhonda is this really sweet lady I met at an AA meeting," Carly explained. "She recently gave me her business card and asked me to come down to her salon one of these days. They're apparently having a nice promotion right now: get a free pedicure with every manicure. Of course for me, she said she'd throw the manicure in for free too," she finished with a smile.

"That's very generous of her," Molly said. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go make our hands and feet pretty!"

Jack looked out across the landscape at the snow-covered hills as he pondered his next thought. He and Holden had found a couple of boulders to sit on at the riverbank by the water while their horses grazed nearby. Jack was torn about what he was going to say to Holden next as they continued their present conversation. Should he express his concerns to his cousin, or should he just trust him to know what he was doing? Jack mulled over his decision for a few more seconds before speaking up again.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Holden, but isn't it a little too soon to be saying something like that?" he asked.

Holden turned to look at his cousin.

"What? Telling Molly that I love her?"

"Yeah," Jack said with a nod. "I mean, how long have you guys been dating? A month and a half to two months?"

Holden scoffed at the question.

"But we've known each other for over twenty years," he said.

"That's not the point, Holden," Jack countered. "You both only became romantically involved a couple of months ago, and it takes a lot of time and work to build a strong enough relationship before you can say something like that."

Holden chuckled at Jack's explanation.

"Look who's talking!" he teased.

"I know," Jack agreed. "So take it from a guy who's made that mistake - _several_ times as a matter of fact - and don't do what I did."

"It isn't a mistake, Jack," Holden assured him. "I love Molly and she loves me. We want a future together. One that will last forever."

Jack looked at his cousin.

"And what about Lily? You're going to be okay when she moves on with someone else?"

Holden sighed in exasperation.

"Look, the situation between Lily and me is entirely different than the situation between you and Carly," he said.

"You're right," Jack said. "It's not the same thing. The circumstances are entirely different. The personalities involved are entirely different. But there's one important element that both our situations have in common, and that's history. When you share that kind of powerful history with someone, there are just too many strong feelings and emotions involved, and God help us, they're humanly impossibly to overcome. I learned that the hard way. Yeah, I know that you and Molly have known each other for years and share a history too. But the difference between your history with Molly and your history with Lily is that you and Lily shared love. And it wasn't just some form of platonic love. It was true love. You were in love with each other for _years_. Yes, there were ups and downs, and good times and bad times, and plenty of anger and angst and all that other intense stuff to go along with it. But it doesn't just erase the love. I get that you're mad at her, and hell, I can't say that I blame you, but don't just write off everything that you guys had together because you're angry. You may think that you don't love her anymore, and that you never want to go back there with her ever again, and convince yourself that whatever you felt for her is completely out of your system, but in the end, you'll realize that you've just been deluding yourself. When two people have loved each other the way you and Lily have for all these year, it doesn't just suddenly disappear."

Throughout his speech, Jack had maintained a close eye on Holden to see how he was processing the advice he was imparting. By the serious expression his cousin wore the entire time, Jack had perceived that he was contemplating his words, which was why Holden's next reaction caught him completely off-guard.

After remaining silent and still the entire time, Holden suddenly erupted into a fit of laughter, leaving Jack totally confused.

"You're not going to charge me for our first session, are you Professor Jack?" he asked amidst continuing laughter. "Or should I call you 'Guru Jack'?"

Jack shook his head in disappointment.

"Did none of that sink in?" he asked.

Holden slowly began to recover from his bout of hilarity and sighed.

"Look Jack, I appreciate the concern, really I do. But I need you to trust me. I know what I'm doing. I'm not going to mess this up."

"I'm still surprised by your reaction," Jack said.

"How so?" Holden asked.

"Well, I figured you'd either really think about what I just said or that you'd get mad at me for getting preachy with you," Jack explained.

"I've thought about all this on my own many times before," Holden replied. "And I thought about it now again. I listened to every word you just said, but I've made up my mind. As for getting mad at you…I thought about that too, but after hearing about your morning with Carly, I decided to take it easy on you."

"How very magnanimous of you," Jack said sarcastically.

"Hey, don't be mad at me just because _I _actually had sex this weekend," Holden boasted with a triumphant smirk.

"Jerk!" Jack remarked with a scowl at his chuckling cousin.

"Ready to head back?" Holden asked.

"Yeah," Jack replied, "I'm starting to get cold."

"What do you say we warm ourselves up by grabbing a couple of beer at Yo's?" Holden suggested as he got up.

Jack nodded and followed his lead and they each headed over to retrieve their horses.

"Sounds good," he said. "Don't I owe you one for helping me clean up my bedroom the other day?" he recalled.

"Oh, that's right," Holden replied. "And it was well deserved too."

Given the state of that bedroom following Janet's wrath, Jack knew there was no disagreeing with that comment. He led Pippin over to join Holden and Cheyenne, and they started to walk up the embankment toward the farm. Once they reached the top, Jack suddenly stopped and Holden instinctively did the same.

"Hey Holden. I'm sorry if I've been coming off too preachy or sanctimonious…it's just that I care about you, and I care about Molly; I don't want to see either of you get hurt."

"It's okay, Jack," Holden replied, giving Jack a friendly pat on the arm. "If anything, I should be apologizing to you. I acted like a jerk when I laughed earlier. I know you were just trying to help."

"Yeah, well. I've done my part," Jack said. "I promise I won't lecture you about it anymore."

The two men continued walking over the horizon with their horses in tow.

As Carly and Molly walked in and stood on the inside of the doorway, Carly could see that Rhonda's Nails was a quaint, tidy little salon with strawberry pink walls and white furniture. The place was occupied with three clients who were each being worked on by nail technicians. It didn't take long for Carly and Rhonda to spot each other simultaneously.

"Oh my goodness, it's Carly!" Rhonda exclaimed happily from the other side of the counter.

"Hi Rhonda," Carly greeted with a smile.

"I'm so glad you came!" Rhonda said as she walked over to Carly and gently took her hands. "And you brought a friend with you," she added when she noticed the brunette standing next to her.

"Rhonda, this is my cousin, Molly," Carly introduced. "And Molly, in case you didn't already catch it: this is Rhonda," she quipped.

Rhonda and Molly laughed and shared a mutual "nice to meet you," as they shook hands.

"So, what are we having done today?" Rhonda inquired.

"Just a manicure and pedicure for me," Carly replied.

"Very good," Rhonda acknowledged before turning to address Molly. "And for you, honey?"

"The same for me, please," Molly added.

"Alright, two manis and pedis coming up," Rhonda summarized. "Sydney, sweetheart, I could use your help tending to these nice ladies," Rhonda called out in the direction of a young African-American girl who had her nose buried inside a Vogue magazine. Carly recognized the name and recalled Rhonda mentioning that she had a daughter named Sydney.

The girl looked up to acknowledge her mother.

"I'll be right there," she called back.

"Alright ladies," Rhonda said to Carly and Molly. "I'll have you sit next to each other right here," she said, leading them to neighboring stations. "I'll take Molly. And Carly, I'll have Sydney help you."

As the other three women settled into their respective seats, Sydney Willis came over and joined them. She was a very pretty African-American girl with long, jet black hair and a lean figure who looked to be in her early twenties. One thing that instantly stood out to Carly was how fashionable the young girl seemed to be.

This time it was Rhonda's turn to facilitate introductions.

"Carly, this is my daughter, Sydney. Sydney, this is a friend of mine, Carly Tenney. We know each other from AA."

Rhonda waited for Carly and Sydney to exchange pleasantries before introducing Molly and her daughter. Once everyone had reached a first name basis, Carly and Molly shared their desired nail specifications, and both mother and daughter got to work.

"So, how're you doing, Carly?" Rhonda asked from her seat, across from Molly.

"I'm doing well, thanks," Carly replied with a smile. "How about you?"

"Oh, the same old," Rhonda said dismissively as she continued to work on Molly's nails. "But what about _you_? Nothing interesting going on?" she prodded hintingly, returning the smile.

Carly chuckled at Rhonda's suggestive line of questioning and decided to just cut to the chase.

"Rhonda, Molly knows _all_ about Jack and me," she informed. "There's nothing I've shared in any of our meetings that she doesn't already know."

Molly glanced at Carly and then at Rhonda.

"Oh, that's right!" Molly realized. "Rhonda _should_ already know about you and Jack from those meetings!"

"Tell me, Molly," Rhonda began. "Am I the only one rooting for this story to have a happy ending?"

Molly sighed deeply.

"Not at all, Rhonda!" she replied. "I'll lose all faith in love if these two don't end up together. And I know they will. Eventually…" Molly continued, despite earning a stern look from Carly.

"Somehow, I _knew_ we were on the same team," Rhonda said confidently.

"Great minds," Molly added with a grin.

"I like her," Rhonda said to Carly as she nodded towards Molly and all three women laughed good-naturedly.

Carly turned her attention to the one person who seemed clueless to what they were talking about: the young girl who was meticulously working on her nails.

"Sydney, I really like your bracelet," Carly said, genuinely meaning it as she admired the piece of beaded jewelry.

The young girl smiled at the compliment.

"Thank you," she said. "I made it myself."

"It's gorgeous," Carly added, in awe of her handiwork.

"Sydney is a true fashionista," Rhonda enlightened the other two women. "Her passion is to make art out of clothes."

"Sounds like someone else I know!" Molly piped up as she pointed at Carly with her free hand. "You're looking at one of Oakdale's finest designers!"

"Really Carly?" Rhonda asked in surprise. "I'm guessing this was before your Metro days."

"_Well_ before my Metro days," Carly informed her. "A lot has changed since then."

Yet, Carly could feel a distinct sense of excitement building up inside her at that moment as she imagined the possibilities the future held with the opening of Carly's Closet. She secretly acknowledged that there were many facets in life that she might never conquer, but when it came to designing clothes, she had every confidence that she was the woman with the golden spindle who had the power to transform even the most mundane piece of fabric into a thing of beauty. Just then a question from Sydney snapped Carly out of her reverie.

"Do you know of any places that are offering internships?" she asked.

"No. Sorry," Carly answered regretfully.

"Shoot," the girl said in disappointment. "I can't find a single internship."

"She's been looking for months," Rhonda informed Carly. "She needs to complete a semester-long one in order to graduate from the university next year, but there don't seem to be any open positions."

The wheels in Carly's headed started spinning.

"Sydney, I'm guessing you have a portfolio?" she asked.

"Yes," Sydney confirmed with a nod. "In fact, I have it right here in the salon. I was working on some sketches for class earlier."

"Can I take a look at them once we're done?" Carly requested. "It's a long-shot, but I think I might be able to help."

"Of course," she replied, offering a smile of gratitude.

Meanwhile, Molly lifted a curious eyebrow.

"You still have some contacts in the fashion field?" she asked.

Carly shifted nervously in her chair. Her plan was to see if she and Lily could possibly hire Sydney once construction on Carly's Closet had been completed. However, things were still too early in the preliminary for them to make any decisions or commitments of this nature. Still, Carly liked Sydney – and she definitely liked Rhonda – so she couldn't help but give the dejected girl a glimmer of hope. In any case, at least so far things were moving along for the boutique according to plan.

"It's a long story," Carly replied to Molly, who nodded and didn't pursue the subject any further.

The women spent the rest of their time chatting about all kinds of things that included the weather, their shared love for chocolate, the ridiculousness of Lady Gaga, and the universal stupidity of men…among other things.

Once they were done, all four of them got up at the same time.

"That'll be no charge, sweetie," Rhonda said when she saw Molly pull out her wallet.

Molly looked touched by the generous gesture.

"Really? Are you sure, Rhonda?" she asked. "I mean, I can understanding you doing it for Carly because you know her, but…"

"Of course I'm sure, sugar," Rhonda interrupted. "It was a pleasure chatting it up with you ladies today. I haven't had this much fun in a while. It's the least I can do."

"Thank you," Molly said. "Of course it'll be different next time," she finished with a smile.

"Agreed," Rhonda said with a laugh.

"Yes, thank you, Rhonda," Carly chimed in. "You and Sydney did a fantastic job."

She turned her attention to Sydney.

"So, Sydney, can we take a look at that portfolio now?" Carly asked.

"Of course," Sydney resplied. "If you'll come with me this way…" she said, leading Carly past a couple of customers all the way to the register. She went around the corner and reemerged on the other side of the counter. She reached underneath the register and retrieved a ledger-sized, leather-bound portfolio. "Here you go," she said, placing it on the counter in front of Carly.

Carly reached down and opened the file. She slowly leafed through the pencil-drawn sketches; her eyes capturing as many details as possible from each illustration. When she had finally reached the last one, she closed the file and looked up at the expectant girl.

"These are brilliant!" she said, thoroughly impressed. "I'm serious, Sydney, these are absolutely gorgeous. There wasn't a single one that I didn't like. You're very talented!"

Sydney blushed at the high praise but accepted it graciously.

"Thank you. That means a lot," she said.

"Definitely well deserved," Carly replied. She quickly glanced over her shoulder to survey Molly's whereabouts and spotted her standing exactly where she had left her, deeply engaged in what seemed to be a fun conversation with Rhonda. She reached into her purse and pulled out a small notebook and pen. "Tell you what, Sydney," Carly said as she opened the notebook and uncapped the pen. "Here is my cell phone number," she continued as she wrote simultaneously. "Why don't you give me a call sometime tomorrow and I can set up a time for you to meet with someone who might be interested in your work." She looked up once she was done writing and smiled. "And of course, don't forget to bring these with you," she finished, gesturing to the portfolio sitting on the counter.

Sydney returned the smile and thanked Carly again.

"Oh don't worry, I wont," she promised. "Well, I've gotta meet a classmate at Starbucks for a study session in a few minutes, so I'd better get going. Thank you for this," she said, holding up the piece of paper. "I'll be calling you tomorrow."

"Looking forward to it," Carly said with a smile.

She watched as Sydney grabbed her backpack from under the register, said goodbye to her mother, and walked out the door. Just then she noticed that Molly was nowhere to be seen around the salon, as Rhonda walked over to her.

"Where's Molly?" she asked.

"Oh, she got a phone call and decided to take it outside," Rhonda informed her.

"Oh. Well, you've got a very talented girl, Rhonda," Carly complimented. "Her sketches are amazing!"

"Don't I know it!" Rhonda agreed proudly. "The good Lord sure has blessed her with a creative mind. Thank you so much for looking into this internship opportunity for her."

"My pleasure," she said. "I really hope it works out."

"So, are you planning to go to another meeting anytime soon?" Rhonda asked.

Carly contemplated the question for a moment.

"You know, I don't know," she said. "I hadn't planned on it, but it's never a bad idea."

"Maybe we can go to the same one," Rhonda suggested. "Then afterwards, we can get a cup of coffee and catch up."

"I'd like that," Carly said with a smile. "I just gave my number to Sydney, but let me give it to you too," she continued, pulling out her notepad and scribbling it out for Rhonda before handing it to her.

Just then Molly rejoined them.

"Ready to go?" she asked Carly.

"Yeah," Carly replied.

"Thanks so much for everything, Rhonda," Molly said again.

"Yes, Rhonda," Carly added. "You've been great. Call me."

"I certainly will," Rhonda said to Carly before turning her attention to Molly. "You ladies are both very welcome. Anyway Molly, I'll be seeing you again soon, right?"

"Count on it," Molly promised.

The three women exchanged a round of "byes" before Carly and Molly walked out of the salon.

"So, what are we doing next?" Carly asked her cousin.

"I'm glad you asked," Molly replied with a grin. "We are going to meet up with Holden at Yo's."

Carly was astonished. She stopped in her tracks and looked at Molly.

"'We?'" she repeated. "You want me to tag along like a third wheel while you hang out with your boyfriend…at a _bar _no less? You _do_ realize they have bottles and bottles of alcohol there?"

Molly seemed unaffected.

"Oh come on Carly," she urged. "It'll be the perfect test of willpower for you. And don't worry, you won't be a third wheel."

Carly remained uncertain.

"I don't know, Mol," she said. "It really doesn't seem like a good idea."

"Please?" Molly begged. "For me? Isn't today about you making it up to me anyway?"

Carly looked at her cousin in defeat.

"Fine," she relented. "Let's go."

They decided to walk over to Yo's, which wasn't too far away from Rhonda's salon in Old Town, and locked arms like they did so often as they continued on down the cobblestoned path.

"You know, I really like Rhonda," Molly said.

"Yeah, she's great," Carly readily agreed.

"She really seems to be rooting for you and Jack," Molly continued. "It's always nice to meet another Carjacker," she added with a grin.

"'Carjacker?'" Carly asked in total confusion. "You and Rhonda enjoy breaking into cars?" she joked, knowing full well that she was misunderstanding something and hoping Molly would clear it up soon enough.

Molly laughed skyward at her cousin's presumption.

"No!" said said. "'Car' is short for Carly, and of course we know who makes up the other half of the word. Put it together and you have 'Carjack.' It's a term for anyone who is rooting for you and Jack to end up together. And let me tell ya on behalf of the rest of us, it's like being on a rollercoaster ride."

Carly laughed at the description.

"'Carjack.' Did you come up with that?" she asked her jubilant cousin.

Molly shrugged nonchalantly.

"Maybe," she hinted as they continued walking.

Then, just like that, the levity of the moment effectively turned rancid. The smile on Carly's face instantaneously disappeared as her eyes landed on the profile of the one woman in Oakdale she least wanted to see.

"Well, well, well," Janet began crudely as she came to a stop about six feet away. "Look who we have here."

"Janet," Carly said curtly, hoping to keep the interaction as short as possible.

"I guess congratulations are in order" Janet continued in that same annoying tone. "You've finally won your prize. It took you over a year, Carly, but you got him back! Well, you know what? You can _have_ him!" she spat out bitterly.

Molly unlocked her arm from Carly's and stepped forward.

"Listen sister, why don't you just retract those claws and be on your way," she suggested audaciously.

Janet transferred the trajectory of her nasty scowl from Carly to Molly.

"Oh, why don't you mind your own damn business!" she ordered.

Molly wouldn't have any of it.

"You know what, Janet? I'm glad that Jack dumped you! It was only a matter of time before the effects of that aphrodisiac that you call your cooking was going to wear off. It's nice to see him finally come to his senses and rid himself of the one thing that was bringing him down: you!"

"HA!" Janet cried. "Tell me, how's Congressman Whitman doing?" she asked with a distinct hint of nastiness.

"Why don't you give him a call and find out for yourself?" Molly returned. "Oh, and be sure to mention that you're single and looking."

Carly finally decided to step in.

"Alright Mol, just let it go," she said, patting her cousin's arm. "She's not worth the aggravation."

"HA!" Janet cried again, this time a little more shrilly. "Says the town saint!" she accused.

"Bye Janet," Carly said dryly. "We'll see you later." Although, deep down, she hoped for the contrary.

Just as Carly attempted to walk away from the angry woman in front of her, Janet's next response stopped her cold in her tracks.

"Humph! How about _never_?" she replied bitterly. "I'm _done_ with this lousy town and it's even lousier people!"

"You're leaving Oakdale?" Carly asked immediately.

Janet rolled her eyes to signify that she found Carly's question redundant.

"Uh…_duh_!" she replied. "The sooner I get outta this place, the happier I'll be!"

Molly spoke up again.

"Well, have a nice bus ride home," she said with a sarcastic smile. "Wherever that is."

"How very kind of you," Janet responded with a sarcastic smile of her own. "But I don't need your well wishes. Why don't you keep using them on your cousin here! God knows she could use as many as she can get."

Just then Janet seemed to remember something and she started digging inside her purse. She pulled out a letter-sized manila envelope and focused her attention back on Carly. "Oh, and when you see that husband of mine –a.k.a. your booby prize – be sure to give these to him for me. Separation papers. Freshly signed by yours truly. I have no intention of seeing his face again." With that, Janet thrust the envelope at Carly and trudged onward.

Carly stood there and processed what she had just heard...or at least what she_ thought_ she had just heard. Could it really be true? Would she really never have to see Janet again? Although she could feel a distinct sense of happiness at never having to deal with that insufferable woman again, she felt a strange sense of restlessness inside. She quickly diagnosed the reason behind that feeling and spun around in an attempt to catch up to Janet.

"Carly, what the hell are you doing?" Molly called out from behind her in utter puzzlement.

Carly didn't stop. What she had do couldn't wait, and she had every faith that Molly would catch up to her.

"Hey, Ciccone!"

Janet stopped and whipped around, surprised and speechless by Carly's actions.

"I'm not your messenger service," Carly said as she thrust the envelope back at Janet. "You want to give this to your husband? You can deliver it yourself or have someone else do your dirty work for you. But don't you dare think it'll be me."

Carly wished that she could photograph the foolish look on Janet's face in that very instant as she dealt with the shock of being pursued and told off all within the span of a few seconds. She waited patiently as Janet recovered.

"_What_ is your problem?" she asked in irritation.

"You sweetheart," Carly responded immediately. "_You_ are my problem. You and your selfish little tantrums."

"How dare you!" Janet snarled ferociously, pointing an accusatory finger in Carly's direction. "You think I'm going to stand here and take this from some man-stealing, alcohol-abusing _whore_?"

"Hey, watch it!" Molly snapped in defense of Carly as she caught up to them.

Carly touched her cousin's arm, her eyes silently conveying her gratitude. At this point, she didn't even care about the few onlookers and passersby whose attention had been captured by this confrontation.

"Thanks Cuz, but I need to do this alone," she said determinedly. "In fact, I should've done this a _long_ time ago." She turned her attention back to Janet. "You say you're glad to be leaving this town, Janet? Well, this town doesn't need you either. You think we need some wannabe Mother Theresa who parades around Oakdale preaching her beliefs as if she lives and dies by them and looks down her nose at everyone else? I think maybe it's time you looked in the mirror and saw what a self-righteous hypocrite you are!"

Janet let out an irritating shriek.

"That's rich coming from the _least_ moral woman in all of Oakdale!"

"You're right," Carly replied, maintaining an even tone. "I've made a million mistakes and strayed away from doing the right thing more times than should be allowed to any human being."

"Well, admitting it is the first step," Janet replied sarcastically.

"And doing something about it is the next," Carly overlapped. "And I'm working on cleaning up the messes I made. The difference between you and me is that I have no trouble admitting I have flaws. Unlike you, I don't go around town pretending to be the victim and blaming other people for every little thing that goes wrong in my life. I accept responsibility for my actions and I think I've more than paid for my sins. You, on the other hand, keep crying 'woe is me' and liking painting yourself as a damsel in distress."

"Oh, _I_ pretend to be a 'damsel in distress?'" Janet shouted. "What about you? 'Oh Jack, I can't find the lighter for the stove. Oh Jack, I can't reach the flour all the way on the top shelf. Oh Jack, that villain Craig has kidnapped me and I need my big, strong G-man to come save me!'"

Carly quickly held up her hands.

"Woah, let's slow down, shall we? Let's just stick to the facts here. We both know that those first two accusations are bogus."

"But the third one is one hundred percent true!" Janet shot back instantly.

Carly sighed in exasperation.

"Janet, I didn't even know that Craig was forcefully going to take me up to that cabin. How the hell could I possibly lure Jack out there when I myself didn't know where I was going? Coming after me that night was Jack's decision. Deal with it."

"Whatever!" Janet said in disbelief. "You _knew_ that not knowing where you were wasn't going to stop Jack from coming after you. You _knew _that it was only a matter of time before he'd find you. And you were waiting for him with open arms."

Carly was done playing the one-sided game.

"Okay, let's say for the time-being that your theory about my intentions with Jack are accurate. Let's say that I was waiting for him up at that cabin with 'open arms.' We still have to talk about you. You found your own pair of 'open arms' that night, didn't you, Janet?"

Once again that expression of utter shock returned to Janet's face.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she asked through clenched teeth even as Carly detected a distinct tenseness in her eyes.

"Oh, you know _exactly_ what I'm talking about!" Carly replied. "I'm talking about Dusty Donovan. You helped yourself to more than just his arms, didn't you?"

Janet let out an involuntary gasp.

"That pompous jerk!" Janet yelled. "I can't believe he would do this to me! I can't believe he told you about it."

Somehow, Carly knew Janet wasn't referring to Dusty.

"For your information, Janet, I didn't hear a thing about your sordid little affair from Jack. Unfortunately for me, I caught a little snippet of the live show."

Janet's eyes widened upon hearing that.

"OH MY GOD! YOU WERE SPYING ON ME?!" Janet bellowed.

Carly could feel a migraine coming on. She didn't think she could handle much more of this woman's screeching. It also didn't help that she kept jumping to all the wrong conclusions.

"I wasn't spying on you!" Carly snapped. "Believe me, I have better things to do with my time. I stopped by Metro to talk to Dusty about the taxes the other day and saw you trying to grope the poor man all over his office." And before she knew it, Carly uttered her next thought. "You looked like a cheap hooker, Janet."

That did it. Janet's bloodshot eyes looked about ready to pop out of their sockets and Carly almost expected to see steam shooting out of her ears and nostrils. She looked like a humanized incarnation of Medusa.

"You remember what you said to me very recently? 'You change men like you change your clothes.' That was certainly true back in the day. I was a maneater back then. Still, at least I knew the name of every guy I slept with!"

Janet looked at her with a mixture of rage and bewilderment.

"Justin," Carly informed her. "The name of that bellboy you slept with at that hotel in Miami. In case you want to fly out there and look him up now that Dusty has rejected you, his name is Justin."

Janet stood there with her mouth hanging open and looked even more thunderstruck at the mention of her affair with the bellboy. The sight of Janet with her mouth hinged open and no noise coming out was a rare phenomenon, so Carly decided to take advantage of the opportunity.

"What's the matter, Janet? It's easy to pass judgment and call someone else a slut but not so easy when someone else passes the same judgment against you, is it?" Carly challenged. "And to think you sank even lower by coming home and trying to seduce the husband you already cheated on because your lover didn't want to have anything to do with you. Then when your husband finally confronts you and accepts blame for his share of the damage to your marriage, you go into a psychotic rage and trash everything he owns!"

"OF COURSE YOU WOULD DEFEND HIM!" Janet accused bitterly, sound once again coming out of that mouth.

"You're DAMN right I'm going to defend him," Carly shot back, as she finally allowed herself to react to the indignation she had been feeling inside. "It wasn't enough for you that he was already a broken man who was going through hell, you had to go and destroy what little he had left? Only a cruel, cold-hearted BITCH like you would do something like that!"

"HOW DARE YOU…" Janet started to say for what seemed to be the fifth or so time. But Carly cut her off.

"I can't believe I was _actually_ encouraging Jack to work things out with you!" she exclaimed.

"Pfft, yeah. Like you were pushing the two of us together before we got married all the while hoping to steal him from me?" Janet asked venomously.

"Well, you can take comfort in the fact that I'm kicking myself for it," Carly admitted before she could finally release what she had been holding back for quite some time. "You purposely pick out clothes that expose your boobs for the world to see and walk around shaking that big butt hoping some sucker will look twice and buy you a cheap drink. Then you cook him a piping hot lasagna and hope he takes you to bed with you. You're a sleazy, selfish, loud-mouthed, freeloading bloodsucker who wanders around from man to man, sucking every one of them dry before moving to your next one. And let me tell you something: I'm just glad that the remaining men in Oakdale will be safe and sound from the walking disaster that is Janet Ciccone!"

Janet stood there breathing erratically as she seethed with a monstrous fury. Despite looking about ready to explode, Carly saw a clear glimpse of defeat in her eyes.

"I'm done listening to you talk down to me!" Janet finally growled.

"Good, because I can't take any more of your screeching," Carly said. "Have a nice life."

Janet offered one more nasty glare before swinging around and stomping away, her big heels clunking loudly as she walked away.

Molly came up next to Carly and hugged her cousin. Both their eyes remained fixated on Janet.

"That. Was. AWESOME!" Molly exclaimed with pure glee. "Honey, I'm so proud of you!"

"I'm not going to lie: that felt _great_," Carly admitted.

Though they both stood there feeling satisfied, neither of them expected the additional highlight that followed. As Janet continued clunking away angrily, catastrophe struck as one of the heels broke free, causing her to stumble and nearly lose her balance.

Carly and Molly watched incredulously as Janet muttered a string of curse words and picked up the damaged shoe and heel.

"Aaarrrggghhhh!" she bellowed before turning around and sending one final murderous glare at Carly and Molly. Carly deduced that Janet was mentally blaming them for her misfortune, but she really didn't care.

Once Janet turned around and continued on her way, neither Carly nor Molly could control the burst of laughter that followed in reaction. It took them a good few moments to recover.

"Wow," Molly said as they looked on. "Jack must've been pretty desperate to get over you to go for that scary, big-haired cow."

"She was supposed to be the anti-Carly."

Molly scoffed.

"More like the female version of the anti-Christ."

The cousins laughed again and Molly decided to bid Janet one last farewell.

"Well, arrivederci, Mama Meatball!" she said, only loud enough for Carly to hear. "Good riddance."

Just then the awkwardly hobbling redheaded figure disappeared around the corner for what Carly hoped would be forever.


	21. Two Sides of a Mutual Heartbreak

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: TWO SIDES OF A MUTUAL HEARTBREAK **

Yo's Bar was bustling with a mixture of activity and noise – typical atmosphere for around 5 o'clock p.m. on an average weeknight.

Jack and Holden were sitting on neighboring barstools at the counter and working on their second round of beers. Holden was engrossed in the content being transmitted from the other end of the cell phone he was holding…about four inches away from his ear. The loud tirade being communicated by a wrathful female voice at the other end of the line had him sitting there with a look of sheer horror on his face. He slowly handed the phone back to Jack.

"Wow," he said, a little dazed from listening to the voicemail. "And that was _after _you turned the volume down a few notches…"

"In the middle of a bar filled with some irritating honky-tonk music and a range of drunks, half-drunks, and semi-drunks" Jack added.

"Is she always this terrifying when she yells?" Holden asked.

"Not from what I remember. The worst she's been was the other night at the farm when we finally addressed the fact that the marriage was over."

"Pretty scary stuff, Jack," Holden remarked. "Is she really leaving town?"

"Seems like it," Jack said with a shrug. "She's obviously had it with a lot of us Oakdaliens. I'm guessing Dusty didn't forgive her for whatever happened with that bellhop."

"How do you feel about it?" Holden asked. "Janet leaving town, that is."

"I honestly don't know," Jack confessed. "A part of me feels guilty that I put her through this sham of a marriage. And another part of me feels…relieved," he admitted.

"Notice you didn't say any part of you feels sad," Holden pointed out with a chuckle.

"Because then I'd be lying," Jack explained. "Of course I'd like to be there for Liberty now that Brad's gone, but I doubt Janet will let me stay in touch with her. I'm sure she's angry with me all over again for hurting her mom right now, so it's probably better I give her some space. I'll have to figure something out eventually though."

"Any idea how Janet is planning to get those separation papers to you?" Holden asked. "She didn't really specify anything in the message, except mention rather bitterly that you should expect them soon."

"I don't know," Jack replied. "Maybe Teri will bring them to me…or Janet might mail them herself. We obviously know she won't be bringing them to me herself. She's made it clear that she never wants to see my face again. It's probably a good thing. I'm more than ready to move on."

"Is that why I found all your new stuff in the guest room rather than the room you used to share with Janet?" Holden asked.

Jack simply nodded.

"Ahh…" Holden said, needing no further explanation. "So this is a cleansing of sorts?" he teased.

"I guess you could say that," Jack replied. "Hopefully to happier new beginnings."

"Amen. Let's drink to that," Holden proposed.

"Uh, actually, I'm going to take off," Jack informed him.

"What? Why?" Holden asked in confusion.

Jack looked at his cousin as if he was being ridiculous.

"I thought you said that Molly was on her way to meet you here," he said.

"She is," Holden confirmed. "But that doesn't mean _you_ have to go."

"Come on, Holden," Jack said with a sigh. "Three is a crowd. You don't need me hanging around while you try to spend some time with your girlfriend."

Holden rolled his eyes. Stubbornness was an inevitable Snyder man trait that both he and Jack had inherited. He decided to try a different approach.

"Tell you what. Why don't you at least stick around until Molly gets here? Then I'll personally shove you out the door."

Jack chuckled.

"Alright," he relented. "So, you must be excited about picking Faith up from boarding school this weekend."

"Yeah. It'll be good to have her home again," Holden said with a smile.

"Is Lily still going with you?" Jack asked.

"Mm-hmm. And we thought it would be nice to take Ethan and Natalie with us to see their big sister. Make it a family trip," Holden replied, before realizing how the statement could be misconstrued. "Err…you know what I mean…" he added.

Jack simply nodded.

"Is Molly okay with this?" he asked.

"Well, she wasn't at first," Holden informed him. "But then we talked about it this weekend and I reassured her that there was nothing for her to be worried about. It took a bit of convincing, but I think she understands. I'm actually more worried about how the kids might interpret all this. I don't want them getting the wrong idea and thinking that this will lead to Lily and me getting together and start hoping that…"

Holden trailed off when he noticed that Jack was no longer paying attention to their conversation. Instead, his cousin's entire focus had shifted to the bar's front entrance, where two women – a blonde and a brunette – had just walked in.

Carly stopped abruptly when she glanced towards the bar and locked eyes with the one man who had been on her mind all day…actually more like every day, every hour, and nearly every waking minute…not that she had any intention of admitting it either to herself or anyone else.

Yo's was in full swing: a bouncy country song was playing loudly in the background, nearly every seat was occupied by men and women engaged in audible chattering, a group of boisterous men were shooting pool in one corner in what looked and sounded like a highly competitive game, a few people were dancing in the open area next to the counter, and some weaving their way through the tables, and of course there was the continuous clanking and clattering of an assortment of alcoholic glasses.

Molly alternately glanced from Carly to Jack several times and couldn't help but smile adoringly in reaction. It was amazing to her that even in the midst of such a high frequency of white noise, neither one seemed at all distracted by their surroundings. They only seemed to have eyes for each other. Over the years, she'd seen them stare longingly at each other this way almost a few dozen times, but it never got old. Not when it involved two people she loved and cared about and believed undoubtedly belonged together.

"You little sneak!" Carly hissed at Molly, her eyes still fixed on Jack. "You planned this with Holden, didn't you?"

Molly grinned impishly, pleased with the outcome as she waved in the direction of the bar.

"You're welcome, Cuz," she said, as she grabbed hold of Carly's arm and started leading her through the crowd toward Holden and Jack.

Carly followed her cousin, somewhat astonished and more than a little surprised at the prospect of seeing Jack again, twice in one day. And although she wasn't smiling on the outside, her heart contradicted everything that her face was working so hard to disguise for the rest of the world to see.

"Hi guys," Molly greeted cheerfully and reached out to exchange a kiss with Holden. "Hello Detective Snyder," she said to Jack as she wound her arms around Holden waist.

"Hi Mol," Jack replied with a smile. He then quickly redirected his attention to Carly. "Hi," he said, his smile broadening considerably and an unmistakable glint flashing in his eyes.

Carly could feel her willpower cracking internally.

"Hi," she said, revealing a bright smile of her own.

That single smile only multiplied Jack's happiness at seeing her beautiful face again.

Holden had intently watched the entire exchange.

"Hey Mol," he said in a tone slightly different from his usual one. "Jack was just going to take off. Do you think you could convince him to stay?" he requested, looking at Molly hintingly.

Molly seamlessly took her cue.

"Oh, come on Jack. Stay." she pleaded almost theatrically. "Pretty please?" she added with a playful grin.

Then it dawned on Jack. The secretive phone calls and text messages between boyfriend and girlfriend suddenly made sense. This whole run-in with Carly had been a prearranged set-up by the entangled twosome. Surely this was Molly's brainchild with some assistance from Holden, he figured. Mentally structured the way he was, Jack was hardly a fan of misleading circumstances, yet, all he really felt in that moment was gratitude to Holden and Molly. How else could he possibly feel when their efforts had led to the woman he loved physically standing next to him?

"Of course I'll stay," Jack said, and although the response was directed at three different people, the fact that he had chosen to stare only at one face with long blonde hair and deep blue eyes said a lot about his reasons for doing so.

"Yay!" Molly said merrily in response, accompanied by a series of soft claps. She turned to look in the direction of the seating area. "Wow, not a single free table," she observed.

"Here," Holden said getting up. "You ladies can have our seats. Right Jack?" he asked looking over at his cousin.

Jack tore his eyes away from their fixed spot.

"Yeah. Yeah, of course," he replied, getting up and offering it to Carly as Holden did the same to Molly.

Both women thanked each respective Snyder man just as the bartender surfaced.

"Can I get you lovely ladies, anything?" he asked.

"I'll have a Cape Cod with a twist of lime," Molly informed him.

Carly looked at Jack before placing her order. She needed him to know that she was capable of hanging out in a bar without giving into the temptation or craving for an alcoholic beverage.

"Hi Joe, a club soda for me, please," she said with a smile.

"You got it," Joe replied with a wink before walking away.

"So, what have you boys been up to?" Molly asked, looking from Holden to Jack.

"Oh, guy talk mostly," Holden said with an added grin.

Carly gauged from Holden's facial expression that the response was an indirect reference to his and Molly's romantic weekend getaway. She did, however, wonder what Jack's contribution to this time of 'guy talk' had consisted of. Did it consist of her and only her? Was there any sympathetic mention of Janet? After all, despite the latter's contemptuous rampage on his personal belongings, Jack had revealed to her the other night that he wasn't really angry at Janet. Since then, had he started to regret the end of his marriage? Did he want her back? Was he aware that if he wanted her back that he had very little time before she left town to convince her to stay?

'Shut up, Carly' she mentally chided herself. 'You're being an idiot.'

Fortunately, the insanely cold weather became the next topic of conversation and remained that way until the arrival of the drinks.

"Mmm…you know," Molly said, setting down her cocktail after a quick sip. "This takes me back nearly two decades to a hot summer night in a bar in Montana, honky-tonk music similar to this one playing in the background, the four of us line dancing…" Molly outlined slowly, her eyes sparkling as she recreated the memory. She turned to look at Carly. "Your hair was really short back then, Cuz," she commented, and Carly knew that the mention of that detail was deliberate when Molly immediately turned to assess Jack's reaction. She grinned triumphantly when she noticed that she had achieved her goal.

Jack focused every fiber of his attention on Carly as he recalled that hot summer night in Montana.

"We danced to some cheesy song," Molly continued with a laugh.

"'Boot-Scootin' Boogie,'" Jack uttered without removing his eyes from Carly.

Carly, who had forcefully averted her gaze to stare at a boring old broadway poster hanging on a nearby wall couldn't help but meet his eyes.

"You remember?" she breathed in wonderment.

"I remember a lot of things," he said, the distinct huskiness in his voice suggesting that he was referring to things far deeper than just some 'cheesy song.' More importantly, it was clear from the intensity in his eyes that he was referring specifically to poignant moments involving them and only them.

Carly immediately thought back to two weeks ago when he had told her that he loved her out at the old boathouse site. He had surprised her to the same effect that day when he had specifically recalled the pink dress she had been wearing nearly two decades ago when she had similarly professed her love to him. Carly found Jack's ability to pinpoint little details like this from their golden days extremely endearing. It reaffirmed to her that those days had meant something to him, regardless of where they were now. Still, she knew that she couldn't be taken into sentimentality. She needed to stay strong.

"Um, I need to go use the restroom," she said, setting down her tumbler and excusing herself as quickly as possible.

Jack watched her along with Molly and Holden as she walked away hurriedly. Clearly, his recollection and the words that he had uttered following the mention of that memory had affected her. That alone meant something to him.

Once Carly was out of sight, Molly immediately turned to face Jack.

"Hey Jack, you know I love you, but why do you have such an awful taste in women?" Molly asked suddenly. She paused. "My cousin being the one exception, of course," she emphasized very matter-of-factly.

Holden looked at his girlfriend with his jaw wide open. Jack, on the other hand, was taken aback by the brazen question, but didn't find it quite so unexpected.

"Wow Mol, I honestly don't know how to respond to that," he said sincerely. "I guess because I'm a hapless moron sometimes?" he offered half serious, half joking, before clearing his throat. "Any reason you're asking me this now?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," Molly responded. "Julia number one was a psycho, Julia number two (from what I heard) was a desperate hussy, Katie…well, Katie seems to have grown up lately so I'll leave it at that. But Janet…she's kind of a mixture of psycho, desperate hussy, and immature Katie…plus a few dozen rotting lasagnas worth of nastiness." Upon noticing that Holden and Jack still looked a little lost as to where she was going with her diatribe, she stopped short and decided to get to the point. "Carly and I ran into your not-so-better half at Old Town on our way here," she finished.

Jack's eyes widened with surprise. Following their official breakup at the farm the other day, Jack knew that Janet held Carly significantly responsible for the crumbling of their marriage. The fact that she had actually come face to face with Carly alarmed him.

"And…what happened?" he asked quickly but cautiously.

Molly snickered as she prepared herself to tell the tale.

"Well, she got all huffy with Carly and me and slapped your separation papers at Carly and ordered her to deliver them to you."

"And then she walked away, right?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Molly said with a nod and Jack immediately exhaled in relief. "_Except_," she continued, "then Carly went after her."

"Damn it!" Jack exclaimed worriedly. He'd obviously breathed a sigh of relief prematurely. "And?" he pressed.

"And…" Molly went on, her eyes sparkling mischievously. Jack ascertained from her expression that she was up to something. "A catfight ensued. Well, more like a one-sided catfight. First Carly pounced on Janet from behind and knocked her to the ground. Then she bitch-slapped her over and over again until she was exhausted. Then she bit her on the nose and decided it had too much Italian seasoning. So then she went for her hair and started ripping it out, only to realize that it was fake. By the way, did you know that Janet wears a wig?" She asked, not stopping for an answer. "And then…" She paused for dramatic effect as she led up to the climax. "She went for the jugular."

Jack shook his head and chuckled despite growing a little impatient. Holden, on the other hand, was roaring with laughter at his girlfriend's creative adaptation of the confrontation between Janet and Carly.

"Rowrrr," Molly purred as she contorted her hand into the shape of a paw and swiped it into the air in front of Jack.

"Mol, please," Jack urged. "What happened?"

Molly sighed and started to grow serious.

"Alright," she said. "By now I'm guessing you know that Janet is planning to move out of town?"

Jack nodded and Holden noticed his cousin shudder, no doubt haunted by the shrilly recorded voicemail from which he had gathered that piece of information. Molly began to recount what had actually happened in Old Town between the three women.

"Well, Janet made sure that Carly and I knew that she was done with this town and packing up and getting the hell outta here. I don't know how much you're aware of this, but for nearly two years now Carly has had to listen to this woman insult her, and belittle her, and treat her like she's nothing. So Carly finally decided it was time she stood up for herself. She knew that it was now or never…and it's been a long time coming. Jack, she was incredible! Not only did she stand up for herself, but she stood up for you too."

"Stood up for me? How?" Jack inquired even as the guilt at what his wife had done began creeping into him.

"I told Carly what that woman did to all your stuff, and she was livid about it. So in the midst of standing up for herself, she stood up for you too. Not only because of what Janet did to all your stuff, but also for being such a promiscuous, hypocritical tramp."

"Is Carly doing okay?" Jack asked. He had heard Molly's degradation of Janet, but didn't care enough to address it. "I mean, she seemed fine when she came in, but you know Carly…"

"She's fine," Molly assured him with a smile. "If anything, she feels great that she finally let that floozy have it. And you know what? I'm _so_ proud of her. Janet deserved everything she got and then some. Serves her right for being foolish enough to marry a man whose heart will always belong to someone else. Jack and Carly forever," she concluded with a grin.

Jack couldn't disagree. He marveled at how fervently Molly wanted him and Carly to reunite and appreciated every bit of her support and encouragement to both of them.

"You really are our cheerleader, aren't you?" he asked with a good-natured laugh.

"Hey, I may be rooting for the two of you to get together, but I'll always be a Carly-Carjacker first," she said resolutely.

"A what?" A bewildered Jack and Holden asked in unison.

Molly re-explained her definition of a "Carjacker" to both Snyder men as she had done to Carly a little while ago.

"So, a Carly-Carjacker is someone who wants the two of you to get together, but is really in Carly's corner in the grand scheme of things," she further added. "Again, I love you, but I'm sorry, in this case I'm in Carly's corner. But don't worry," she piped up quickly. "Holden here is in your corner."

Holden snickered and quickly held out his hand.

"Hey, hold on there," he said. "Holden didn't say that. If anything, Holden is a Carly-Carjacker too," he added, looking at his cousin regrettably.

Jack gave Holden a mock glare for his betrayal.

"No offense, Jack," Holden added. "'Blood may be thicker than water, but um, well, you know…" he fumbled awkwardly.

"I understand," Jack said with a chuckle. "I'm kind of a Carly-Carjacker too. I just wish she'd see that. Which reminds me…nice work arranging this chance meeting between the two of us, you guys," he added knowingly.

Holden immediately started pointing to Molly and confirmed what Jack had already accurately deduced.

"Hey, I'm not condoning your actions, but I'm still glad with the way it worked out," Jack remarked, intentionally contradicting himself.

"Well, you've certainly been drinking in the sight of Carly more enjoyably than you have your two rounds of beer," Holden teased.

Jack playfully smacked his cousin on the arm as the three of them laughed. Then, as if on cue, courtesy of some sort of karmic reprisal that seemed to particularly plague the residents of Oakdale, a moment of lightheartedness suddenly morphed into one filled with tension.

Both Molly and Jack noticed as Holden grew very somber and observed the two people who had just walked into the bar. Lily stood by the door accompanied by a strange man whom Jack had never seen before. He guessed that he was new in town. He was a lean, well-groomed man in an expensive suit with neatly combed dark brown hair of around five-foot ten in terms of height and looked to be in his late thirties or so. It was apparent just by initial appearances that he was a man of refinement. Lily stopped short when she noticed three familiar faces watching her and gave them all a small collective smile and wave, even as her eyes almost automatically found Holden's. She quickly mentioned something to the man standing beside her and he nodded. They walked over to a newly cleared table directly in the line of view of the curious threesome and sat down.

"Do you guys know who that is?" Molly asked Holden and Jack.

Both of them shook their heads.

"Nope, no idea," Jack said as Holden remained silent. "He seems to be new in town."

"He's certainly handsome," Molly observed immediately. Next to her, Jack noticed Holden stiffen, although he couldn't quite decipher if it was due to the fact that his ex-wife had just walked into Yo's with another man or because his girlfriend had made an approving remark about said man.

"Hey, what are you guys looking at?" Carly inquired curiously as she walked over to rejoin the group. Jack, Molly, and Holden had been so engrossed in Lily and her friend that they hadn't noticed Carly make her way back to them. Carly's eyes immediately followed theirs and fell on what had them so captivated. Lily noticed Carly and gave her a friendly smile and wave, prompting her gentleman friend to also look over in the same direction and he joined her and began to do the same. Carly smiled and waved back, even as a sense of confusion and anxiety swept over her at the attention Lily and Alex were drawing.

"Do you know who that is?" Jack asked her immediately.

Carly nodded.

"That's Alex Benson. He's new to Oakdale."

"How do you know him?" Jack asked, almost as immediately as the previous question.

"Um, Neal introduced us," she said. "They're business partners. He's here to help with the neurology wing at Oakdale Memorial," she finished, not revealing any more than that.

Molly noticed the similarity in reaction between Jack and Holden. Within the span of a minute, they had both grown motionless at the sight or mention of another man in relation to their exes and taken immediate notice. Jack's reaction, she understood. Holden's however, was perplexing.

Now it was Holden's turn to interrogate.

"How does he know Lily?" he asked Carly right away.

"Lily also happened to be there when I first met Alex, so Neal introduced both of us to him at the same time."

"When was that?" Holden asked instantly.

"About a week ago," Carly said, starting to feel fatigued by all the questions.

"Where did you all meet?" Holden pressed on.

Carly had had enough.

"Look Holden, if you want to find out more about Alex, you should talk to Lily," she said as plainly and as diplomatically as possible.

"I'm sorry, you're right," Holden accepted, even as his eyes continued to linger in the same place.

"Hey, what do you guys say we finish this round of drinks and then head over to the Lakeview for dinner?" Molly suggested as she watched Holden in agitation.

Carly's initial thought had been to decline, but upon seeing the imploring look on her cousin's face, she relented. In any case, Sage was staying over at the Lebos' and Parker was hanging out with some friends all evening.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Sounds good," Jack replied soon after, looking at Carly.

"Great," Molly said with a shaky smile as she turned to look at Holden for his response.

Holden, however, still seemed distracted by the interaction between Lily and Alex.

"Holden?" Molly asked; her tone laced with irritation.

"Hmm?" he acknowledged, still not tearing his eyes away.

"You're coming along, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah," he told her.

Carly could see that Molly was just about ready to reach her wit's end, so she was hardly surprised when Molly finally reacted.

"Stop it, Holden," she said icily.

"Stop what?" Holden asked in confusion as he turned sideways to look at his girlfriend.

"Ever since Lily and her friend walked in here, you've done nothing but stare at them," she said indignantly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous."

Holden frowned at the accusation.

"I'm _not_ jealous," he replied defensively. "Look, Molly, Lily is the mother of my children. Any man she becomes involved with also becomes involved with my kids. I can't just let that be some stranger that no in town likely knows anything about…especially after everything that happened with Damien."

Molly remained unconvinced.

"First of all: how do you even know that they are involved if this guy just moved into town a week ago? Secondly: if you're so worried about the kids, maybe you should have Jack run a background check on him. But something tells me that this guy could have a squeaky clean record and you'd still find something to disapprove about him."

With that, Molly stood up and turned to face Carly and Jack.

"I'm sorry you guys. Do you mind if I pass on our dinner plans? I've suddenly lost my appetite," she said through her frustration.

"Of course, Honey," Carly said as the two cousins exchanged hugs.

"No worries, Mol," Jack added and gave her a quick hug.

"I'll see you guys later," Molly said, glaring at Holden before she headed for the exit.

Holden simply stood there looking dumbfounded.

"What the hell are you waiting for? Go after her, man," Jack advised him. "I'll take care of this," he said, motioning toward the drinks.

Only then did Holden grow wakeful and he gave his cousin a grateful pat before following after Molly. However, not before casting one final glance in Lily and Alex's direction.

Jack and Carly stood there quietly for a few seconds.

"Well, I guess that nixes our dinner plans," Jack remarked.

"Yeah," Carly responded. "Probably a good thing anyway. I have a couple of chicken breasts defrosting on the kitchen counter and I was really looking forward to making Chicken Parmesan."

"I love your Chicken Parmesan," he complimented her with a warm smile.

He fished out his wallet and paid the tab.

"Thanks," Carly said for what Jack perceived both things: the compliment and the tab.

"My pleasure," Jack replied, warm smile still in place. "Where are you parked?"

"Oh," Carly began as she backtracked to several hours ago. "My car is in the WOAK parking lot. I met Molly there and we walked to Old Town."

"Let me give you a ride," Jack offered straightaway.

"No, Jack, that's not necessary…" Carly started to say, but the look on his face told her that she wasn't winning this one. "Alright," she conceded.

Carly waved goodbye to Lily and Alex, making a mental note that she needed to find out what was brewing between those two from Lily later on.

Jack held the passenger's side door of his SUV open for Carly and closed it after her. He came around and settled into the driver's seat before turning on the ignition. Neither quite knew what to say after everything that had just transpired between both their cousins. Jack finally spoke up, bringing up Sage's upcoming dance recital. That seemed to do the trick. Having a conversation about the kids always seemed to ease the tension between them and made them at least temporarily forget whatever their current situation was. Before they knew it, Jack had pulled up next to Carly's silver sedan.

"Thanks for the ride, Jack," Carly said appreciatively. "I'll talk to you later," she added as she reached for the door handle.

"Carly," Jack spoke up before she could open the car door and waited for her to turn to face him. "Thanks for standing up for me…you know, with Janet…"

"Molly told you, huh?" she guessed with a small smile.

"Yeah," Jack confirmed. "You must've really let Janet have it because Molly emphasized how proud she was of you."

"About that, Jack…" Carly started, feeling the need to explain. This woman was still his wife after all.

Jack effectively cut her off.

"Carly, I understand why you did it," he said, as he was filled by an equal amount of shame and guilt. "All those times I talked badly about you to her, all those times I let her put you down and stood there and did nothing, all those times I even joined her and we both doubled up against you…all any of that ever did was encourage her and fuel the fire. But I want you to know that I get it. I _finally_ get it. If anything, I should be begging your forgiveness."

"Jack, that's not necess…" Carly began.

"Yes it is," he replied, cutting her off a second time. He sighed deeply. "Carly, I'm sorry. It's my fault that you went through most of it. I was a coward for letting it go on for as long as I did. And I really hope you'll forgive me."

Carly gently placed a hand over Jack's and leaned forward to look into his eyes.

"Trust me, Jack. None of that affects me anymore," she assured him. "But if my forgiveness is what you want, then you have it."

They stared at each other for a few moments before simultaneously glancing down and noticing their overlapping hands. Carly hurriedly pulled hers away

"I should go," she said softly, affected by their close proximity. She knew that she had to get out before things escalated emotionally…or physically.

The passenger's side door shut before Jack could say anything, so he quickly slid out of his seat and intercepted her and they came face to face behind each other's cars.

"So, we're going to pretend like this morning never happened?" Jack initiated.

It took Carly a few seconds to process his question.

"We already talked about this morning," she said, adjusting her scarf more securely. "I thought I was pretty clear."

"Hmm…not really," Jack said shaking his head. "Because your mouth was saying one thing but your body was doing another." He paused. "But what I _really _want to know though is what your heart is saying. Right here. Right now."

Carly didn't speak immediately. She wrestled with how to best answer the question. She knew none of her responses would be very different from what she had already given him. Yet, now that he was asking her again, she had no choice but to repeat herself.

"It's saying 'you can't go there again, Carly.'"

Jack took in her answer and grimly nodded.

"Because you don't trust me when it comes to us?" he asked somberly, reflecting on her earlier words.

Carly could tell by the sadness in his eyes that that statement in particular had hurt him. But she wasn't going to lie or sugarcoat her answers. Not anymore.

"Yes," she admitted quietly.

"Even though I'm telling you again, _right now_, that I love you, and that I want you, and that there's no other woman in this world for me but you?"

"Yes," she replied, in that same quiet tone.

"Why?" he asked, despite already knowing and already having heard it all. He was on a mission and he wasn't about to forfeit so easily.

Carly paused before giving her reason.

"History," she summarized in a single word.

Jack recalled his conversation with Holden on the very subject only hours earlier.

"'History?'" Jack repeated. "History tells us that no matter how hard we try to fight this connection that we have, and try to move on, we always find our way back to each other."

"You make it sound so simple," Carly remarked.

"Because it is," Jack reasoned. "You used to think so too."

"And how has that helped me? It hasn't gotten me anything. It's been nearly four years since we've been together, Jack, and nothing's changed between us."

"I know," he agreed. "But this time you don't have to be the one convincing me that we belong together. This time, _I'm_ asking you to give us a chance. This time, I'm holding on to our history."

Carly crossed her arms as she looked down at the ground in thought and nodded her head. When she looked back up at him, however, Jack noticed a distinct steeliness in her eyes. A look he recognized all too well. And unknown to her, exactly the look he wanted to see.

"I see. So we should let history repeat itself then?" she asked rhetorically as her voice gradually started to rise. "I should convince myself that even if we lose our way again, no worries, because in time – whether it's within a matter of months or years – after all the anger and the pain and the resentment fades away, we'll find our way back to each other again," she continued, treading into sarcasm. "So, even if I do something very Carly-like and disappoint you and you leave me, the kids and I shouldn't worry, because eventually, you'll come home to us. We won't know how long that'll take, but hey, who cares when it's a guaranteed fact? Eventually my G-man will make his way back to me."

Jack savored her tenacity despite her stinging words. He had already braced himself to expect them.

"I'm not going to walk away from you again, Carly," he said calmly. "I know what it's like to lose you, and I'm never going to let it happen again."

"I've heard it all before. I've _believed_ it all before," Carly replied sadly, even as the intensity in her eyes remained unchanged. "That's why I won't allow myself to go through that ever again. Letting you go is the hardest thing I've ever had to do, Jack…not only when you married Katie, but again when you married Janet. I didn't just lose you once, I lost you twice. Before you married Janet I still believed in us. You gave me hope. You made me believe that you still loved me and that you wanted to give what we had another chance. But that's not how it worked out is it? Because here we are: standing in the freezing cold, under the night sky, in an empty parking lot, arguing about a relationship that's been dead for almost _four_ years."

"Okay, I admit that marrying Katie and Janet were mistakes. I already told you that. I used them to convince myself that I was over you. That I could move on from you with someone else and maybe even have what we had. They were for all the wrong reasons. I know that. You know that. And even Katie and Janet know that. But when it comes to you, it's different. You're not a Katie or a Janet or a Julia to me. Carly, you're the love of my life."

Carly's gaze was unyielding.

"What about all the times you rejected me?"

That single abridged question wounded Jack more than anything else that either of them had asked or said to each other since that day at the boathouse site.

"I was a fool," he said plainly and honestly. "It's as simple as that. But if you want me to elaborate, I will."

"So, you think that now if you suddenly say things like, 'you know what, Carly, all those times I rejected you either after you told you me you loved me or after we had sex, I didn't really mean it. Yeah, I know I married Katie and Janet, but I didn't really mean a lot of the things I said to them or you when I was with them. You know all those vows and promises I made to both of them? They were all lies.'" She paused. "Well, did you ever stop and think that you took those same vows to me, Jack? What about when you promised _me_ that we'd always be together? That must've been a lie too, then right? Because look at us now. How is that any different from what you promised to Katie and Janet?"

Jack remained frozen in place the entire time. He spoke up quietly.

"If we're going to talk about Katie and Janet, then we should talk also talk about Simon and Holden and Craig."

To Carly, that response had been completely unexpected. Up until now, he had mostly been passive and contrite, but Carly knew him well enough to know that something inside him had finally been awoken and it wasn't about to just go away.

"How is my getting involved with Katie any different from you getting together with Simon? I came to you and wanted to get back together, Carly. Do you remember that? You're the one who turned me down."

"Oh, so after months of begging and pleading with you not to give up on our marriage, after _you_ walked out, I was suddenly supposed to turn around and forget that we were divorced and take you back? I was so broken when you left, Jack. I felt like I was nothing. And Simon came along and changed all that. He made me feel worth it again after you, the man that I loved, had rejected me in every possible way."

"You told me this morning that you didn't love him," Jack remarked amidst the guilt.

"I didn't," Carly said instantaneously. "At the time, I know I said that I did. I even thought that I did. But then I finally realized that all I had done was convince myself that I loved him."

"But you _chose_ him. Not only did you choose him, but you committed theft with him. Then you left with that criminal and walked away from our kids. You say I left you, but you left me too, Carly."

"I won't excuse what I did to the kids, but you and I weren't together when I left with Simon."

"And you and I weren't together when I got together with Katie. Yet, you repeatedly tried to break us up. So, in that scenario, was I suddenly supposed to turn around and forget that you had chosen another man over me and take you back? I told you that I never loved Katie too. I know that when I was with her, I told you that I did, I even told her that did, but I was always scared because even then always doubted it. I figured if I said it out loud as many times as I could, that maybe it would feel real. I needed to for self-preservation. I was still so mad at you and so hurt by you that I knew that I had to convince myself that Katie was my future. I knew that if I didn't tell myself that, and _do_ something about it, I'd have to face how much I still loved you. But I still wasn't ready to forgive you. I wanted to hurt you the way you had hurt me. Then we found out about the brain tumor and all that mattered to me then was getting you better again. At that point, I had thrown away all the anger and all the resentment. The only thing on my mind was fear. The fear of losing you. The fear of never seeing you again. That's why I was always by your side. It wasn't out of obligation or guilt. It was because I wanted to spend every moment I possibly could with you. Even my marriage to Katie became secondary. Remember when you asked me to kiss you? I went home that day and told Katie that I still had feelings for you. It was the first time that I had admitted it out loud, and at that point, it was already the beginning of the our marriage. Then I found out about that you had been keeping your misdiagnosis from me…and all the anger and all that resentment came rushing back. Want to know why I worked so hard to get Katie back other than out of sheer guilt? Because I wanted to hurt you again. I wanted to punish you in the worst way possible. And Katie figured that out eventually. That's why she moved on to my brother."

"Come on, Jack. You can't make me believe that our roll in the hay the night of Brad and Katie's engagement party had nothing to do with her."

"Oh, it had a _lot_ to do with her. But it's not for the reasons that you think, or the reasons that it looked like. Everything that I did that night was motivated by guilt. I was still upset that I had hurt her. There was this restlessness inside me that I still hadn't made it up to her. After all, I'm the good guy, remember? So I came home drunk that night and wanted to forget. And I know this makes me sound like the biggest jerk on the planet, but I needed a distraction…and you were there…"

The sadness on Carly's face said it all. Her eyes were moist and her throat felt dry, but still, she managed to speak.

"It was an amazing night for me, and I thought it was an amazing night for you. Only, then, you dismissed it as nothing but 'sex.' And you know what, Jack? I've never been more hurt in my entire life. Do you know what it's like when the love of your life, the person you have shared a sacred connection with, the one you've made love with so many times over the years, suddenly rejects you and makes you feel like what you had was a cheap one-night stand?"

Jack was finding it hard to repress the anguish and regret he felt in his heart.

"I can't even tell you how sorry I am, Carly," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "Actually, 'sorry' doesn't feel even nearly adequate enough. And I know you may not believe this, but even in that moment I loved you. Nothing I said and nothing I did would leave you to believe me when I say it, but it's true. I just wasn't ready to face it. To face how after all the ways I had felt hurt by you that I still loved you."

Carly nodded. She bit her lip in an attempt to stop the tears.

"And then Janet came along…"

"Yeah," he confirmed. "And then she became my new distraction from you. It was the same thing as Katie. We were starting to get along better, remember? And then I found out about the affair with Holden and it was like a dagger through my heart."

"Right, and you believed that it was my way of getting revenge on you for that one-night stand."

"Because I wanted to believe that somehow what happened with Holden was about me. I didn't want to believe that it was something real that you and Holden had discovered."

"Well, Holden and I convinced ourselves that it had nothing to do with you and Lily, but it did," Carly explained. "We both needed a distraction from you and Lily…and when we realized that we were both feeling lonely and rejected, we turned to each other. It wasn't about real feelings or some sort of magical discovery that had been bubbling under the surface for all those years, it was just about availability. Hardly what you would call a love story."

"It didn't make the pain any easier," Jack said.

"So when you told me you loved me a few months later in that hospital room, all that pain had suddenly disappeared?"

"No," he admitted. "For a while there I had been in denial and convinced myself that we weren't right for each other anymore. But when you came after me to save me from Stenbeck's trap, and stayed with me by my bedside, and took care of me the way you did, I couldn't help but be reminded of the past. You've always been there for me in a way that no else ever has, or ever can be, Carly. And I knew I needed you. So I was finally ready to face it. To hell with the anger, to hell with the pain, to hell with resentment and all that other crap. I was finally ready to admit what had been in my heart since the first time I ever said 'I love you' to you. Then when you turned me down, I didn't know what to think."

"I was afraid, Jack," Carly reminded him.

"I know," he said. "I knew even then."

"Then why didn't you fight for us? Why did you give up so easily?"

"Because I was afraid too. Afraid that we would crash and burn. Afraid that you would break my heart all over again."

"So you chose Janet. I came looking for you at that hotel room in the Lakeview to plead my case on the day you were going to officially propose to her; to admit that I had been an idiot for turning you down, wanting you to change your decision before it was too late, but you picked her, Jack. You said you wanted her because you wanted peace and because living with me was hell. At least this time you said that you still loved me, but the rejection didn't make that any easier."

"I know," he accepted.

"And it still wasn't too late for you to call off the engagement. You saw what it was doing to me. You saw what I was going through. Hell, I got drunk the night of your bachelor party and threw up in your car. I came back home that night and collapsed on my knees in a mess. In fact, you came back in and found me on the floor reduced to tears and carried me upstairs. Yet you went through with it. You stood there taking your vows to Janet and even looked over at me more than once, and you still went through with it. Then you came over to me and told me how you'll always love me and how we'll always be connected in our souls before you leave on your honeymoon with her? How is that fair?"

"And then you got involved with Montgomery just to hurt me. You knew it would drive me jealous."

"No, I turned to Craig out of loneliness, not in some effort to make you jealous. What business did you have being jealous anyway? You were a married man. You shouldn't have cared what your ex-wife was doing or who she was doing it with."

"Hmm. Interesting. Because when I was married to Katie, not only did you care what I was doing, but you were actually doing things to sabotage that marriage."

Carly was caught off guard by that accusation. She knew that he had cornered her into a place difficult place.

"Do you see what I'm saying, Carly? Jack asked. "We've both made mistakes…plenty of them being the same ones. That's what I've been trying to get you to realize all this time."

Carly looked at him incredulously as it all started to make sense.

"So, are you saying that there was a method to this madness?" she asked, gesturing between them.

"Yes," Jack admitted. "I purposely engineered this whole fight. I gathered from this morning that there were a lot of unresolved emotions between us that we've never cleared up over the years. I knew that if I wanted us to move forward, I had to dig up all those feelings and make us address them no matter how ugly things get."

"And you got all the answers you were searching for?" she asked warily.

"More than I needed," Jack informed her. "I just had to let us _be_ us…which meant fighting it out. We needed to address all the issues that have been toxicly swimming around us

"So let me get this straight," Carly began thoughtfully. "You thought your best course of action to get all the answers you were looking for was by infuriating me?"

"Yes," Jack said. "I know you. I know that sometimes you keep things bottled in. But once you're provoked and accusations are flung your way, you become passionate, and that's when every single thing that you're feeling comes pouring out of you."

"And now that we've let each other have it, we can forget all the bad stuff and get back together?" she asked dryly.

"I'm not saying that Carly. I know that it'll take time for us to heal. I know that we're not just going to trust each other overnight again. But I'm willing to take that chance. I know in my heart that this is what I want, and no matter how hard you've been fighting it, you want it too."

Jack almost felt like he was staring at a mannequin. An extremely beautiful mannequin, he thought. Carly remained motionless. His words hadn't gone unheard, but she needed to draw into her inner strength before she could speak again.

"We can't always have what we want," she began, an odd calmness in her voice. "You know, if you had said these things to me a few months ago, I would've been in your arms in a heartbeat. Hell, I would've been in your arms kissing you senseless and thanking God a million times for bringing you back to me since the day as soon as you admitted your feelings at the old boathouse site. Even after years of urging you, and pleading with you, and begging you to give us another chance, the Carly from a few months ago would've been beyond ecstatic that you'd finally had your epiphany." She paused as her voice grew fiercer. "But not _this_ Carly. _This_ Carly is strong enough to realize that she doesn't need a man to lean on to stand on her own two feet. You're the love of my life, Jack. I think you always will be. But _never_ again will I be a fool for any man. _Never_ again will I let any man reject me. _Never_ again will I allow any man to have that kind of power over me. _Never _again!"

Carly was finished. She stood there in silence, the night lights reflecting into her shining, tear-filled eyes. Her breathing had become erratic, overcome with passion and emotion, and she tried to steady herself as she exhaled deeply. Her gaze had not faltered from his for a single second, those profound blue eyes smoldering intensely as she had unbridled every raw emotion that she had kept locked away over the years. Jack's dark brown eyes bore into her heart as he immersed himself into grasping every single passionate word that she had just unleashed between them. There were a mixture of emotions stirring inside him and they began coursing into his veins. Part of him was shaken and rocked to the core as he reeled from the power of her veracity. The other part of him couldn't help but be awestruck and mesmerized by the way in which she had stood up for herself. Carly could see that her words had affected him deeply.

"I still care about you," she said softly as she wiped away the tears rolling down her cheeks. "I will always, always care about you. But I can't be with you. I can't do it again."

"So what next? We're both going to stay single for the rest of our lives? Or I'm going to stay alone, pining for you, and you're going to move on and try to fall in love with someone else? Where does it go from here?"

"I don't know," she said.

"Well, I'll tell you one thing, Carly. You can try and try and try to love another man all you want, but what we had, what we still have, it'll keep you from ever fully giving yourself to him. I won't pressure you about us anymore. Everything I needed to know, I found out tonight. And everything I needed to say, I've said tonight. Just know that I'm not giving up. _Never_ again," he added at the end, poignantly giving her use of those two words from earlier in their conversation an entirely different meaning.

Carly knew that their conversation had reached its end. It was time for her to walk away from him, from them, and never look back.

"I should go," she said, turning around quickly and walking to her car. She quickly got in and pulled out without looking in his direction. Still, she couldn't help but glance into her rearview mirror and take in his silhouette before she turned the corner and he disappeared from sight.

Jack remained rooted in the same spot. Her words were still swirling in the air around him. His body suddenly became aware of the chilly winter breeze. The temperature hadn't changed very much since he and Carly had gotten out of their cars. But now, without the heat of those intense moments acting as his blanket, he had to find other means to fend off the elements. Jack walked over and unlocked his car. Once he got in he threw his head back against the headrest and tightly shut his eyes. He reaffirmed that it was now his turn. Tonight had told him that it wasn't going to be easy, but he wasn't going to let that deter him. Jack knew that he was ready for the challenge.

A few blocks away, Carly moved over one lane to the right and pulled over against the curb and turned off the engine. She rested her head against the steering wheel and finally broke down, letting the tears flow freely as she sobbed, releasing every conceivable ounce of her excruciating sorrow that she had kept so tightly bottled away. She finally needed to let go.


End file.
